All the emblematic cities have their symbol of luck. The one of Florence It is a small bronze statue called Il Porcellino depicting a humble wild boar, something truly amazing in a destination known for being the cradle of the Renaissance and where we can find some of the most sublime art scraps of all time. But that's how it is.
The statue was sculpted by Pietro tacca in 1634 to decorate a bronze fountain, a fountain known today as Porcellino Fountain. The fountain should have ended up in the Boboli Gardens but ended up located in a less noble place in the Tuscan capital: the new market. But it is precisely that location (in addition to superstition) that has made it so popular with tourists.
The muzzle of the wild boar has a worn appearance, and it is logical: tradition dictates that any traveler who wishes to return to Florence one day or who simply wants to have good luck in life should rub his hand against it. With so much rubbing the original figure was at risk of being damaged so it was transferred to the Bardini Museum in 1998 and replaced by an identical bronze recast.
In addition to rubbing the muzzle, the custom is put a coin in the mouth just after having done it: if the coin falls under the fence, good luck will come, but if it falls outside ... In addition to this replica on the original site, you have proliferated others little pigs in cities around the world from Sydney in Australia to the University of Arkansas in the United States. Will they all have the magical qualities of the original Florentine Porcellino?