From the Fontana del Porcellino in Florence, to the Minerva di Pavia or to the Toro della Galleria in Milan, as well as St Peter and grazing sheep: here are 5 particular Italian traditions that will amaze you and that you will love to experience… or maybe not!
Every country has its traditions, that is for sure, many of which can appear to be quite bizarre. Italy is no less! We have gathered for you 5 particular Italian traditions which we hope will keep you company along your trips throughout Italy.
From North to South, in fact, we will discover the most bizarre and particular traditions that connect Italians to specific places and moments, going deep into local traditions.
1 – Fontana del Porcellino in Florence: fortune within coin’s reach
In the Loggia del Mercato Nuovo, in the town center of Florence, there is the so-called Fontana del Porcellino (Fountain of the little pig), dating back to 1633. The fountain, which portrays a boar rather than a pig, is the copy of a marble statue that was donated to Cosimo de’ Medici in 1560 and that was transformed into a fountain by Ferdinando II de’ Medici.
According to the tradition, touching the nose of the little pig brings a lot of luck. Because of this, in fact, the nose of the statue is the shiniest part of the statue, thanks to constant touching by all the people who rub it to have some luck. The tradition is that once you rub the nose of the Porcellino, you then have out a coin in its mouth. If the coin falls past the edge of the fountain, then it will bring you fortune. If, on the contrary, it stays in the water, then there will be no fortune.
2 – Minerva di Pavia: bad omen for grad students
Inaugurated in 1939, the Minerva di Pavia is a statue that portrays the Greek goddess of knowledge, wisdom and war. The statue is made of bronze and marble and captures the classical image of the Minerva goddess in a different position from that of other statues.
Her spear, in fact, is pointing down and not up as a symbol of belligerence. We do not know if this is due to an error or if it was done on purpose, but over time, this position has been given a very deep meaning. The Minerva di Pavia, with this gesture, would seem to highlight the importance of studying and culture as opposed to war and violence. From this anecdote, then, one of the weirdest Italian traditions comes to be, quite a superstitious one: university students should never look the statue in the eye, otherwise they will never graduate.
3 – Toro della Galleria di Milano and the lucky twirls
Galleria di Milano is an elegant setting and symbol of Milan’s high fashion. Everybody knows how many beautiful and prestigious shops, but only a few know the tradition of the bull. In the central octagon of the Gallery, in fact, there is a symbol of the Savoia family where a bull is depicted with its testicles in plain sight.
According to tradition, if you manage to do three twirls on its testifies standing only on your right heel, then the bull will bring you luck! As if that was not complicated enough, it seems that you can get top luck by doing a twirl at 12 PM on 31 December, securing some fortune for whole year.
4 – Flocks and money: saying hi to sheep brings wealth
Among the most peculiar Italian traditions, there is the one of waving at flocks of sheep in the hope of attracting some wealth, this one is popular across the country. The dichotomy flocks-money is quite unusual, given that pastoral life is not easy living. However, the tradition seems to be anciently rooted, dating back to when, unlike now, wealth consisted in being able to support oneself, thanks to owning animal from which both food and wool could be obtained.
5 – Touching St Peter’s feet in the Vatican
An essential stop of this journey has to be Rome, specifically the Basilica di San Pietro. It is in this regal, artistic and historical context, in fact, that finds a place another custom that Catholics all over the world like to uphold.
It is touching the feet of St Peter’s statue, depicting the saint in a seated position, blessing with one hand those in front of him, whilst with the other hand holding the keys to Paradise. Touching St Peter’s feet, which are by now visibly shiny and worn out, would make it easier for the saint to help one and answer their prayers, thus bringing fortune.
