The installing of Sant’Antonino sculpture (the saint patron of Piacenza) happened in 2002. The sculpture was designed by the artist Sergio Brizzolesi from Piacenza.
The sculpture was created in an American casting foundry, thanks to the funding of a generous emigrated, Mr. Piero Mussi, born in Piacenza. The monument reached Italy trough a sailing ship across the Ocean.
Sant’Antonino sculpture
The bronze representation of Sant’Antonino stands at the crossroad between Pubblico Passeggio and Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
It represents the brave soldier who converted himself to the Christianity facing the martyrdom. In his right hand he is holding a banner, his left hand is touching the crucifix, worn on his chest.
The movement
The sculpture basement is even more relevant. A mechanism actually allows a clockwise rotation of the statue.
Every hour the sculpture is rotating in a movement of 90 degrees. For a full rotation of 360 degrees it needs 4 hours.
The synchronised movement is based by a satellite feed broadcast by the Institute Galileo Ferraris in Torino.
Exactly at midnight Sant’Antonino is turned always to the direction of Cavalli Square, after he takes a look to every corner of our district.
And besides, the basement contains eight tiles, each of them is representing a uniqueness of Piacenza territory.
The artist decided to honor Piacenza city with five tiles (dedicated one to the basilica of Santa Maria di Campagna, to the Cathedral, the Basilica of Sant’ Antonino, Gothic Palace and the Farnese Palace).
The other three are dedicated to some important artistic sites of the land: The archaelogical site of Veleia Romana, Castell’Arquato and Bobbio.
