The monument to Alessandro Volta, in the middle of piazza Volta in Como, is a marble statue inaugurated in 1838 showing the scientist standing beside the voltaic pile. It is the work of Pompeo Marchesi, one of the best-known sculptors of the time; the base is by Francesco Durelli.
History
The statue was inaugurated in 1838, eleven years after Volta’s death, in what was then called piazza Iasca, later named after the scientist. It shows Volta standing by the pile, the device with which in 1800 he announced the invention of the electric battery. For Oggi a Como it is a marble statue by Pompeo Marchesi; UPEL dates statue to 1838 and attributes the base to Francesco Durelli.
What to see
On the imposing base, leaf festoons, spandrels, eagles and relief medallions with some of Volta’s inventions alternate; the carved dedication is short: «A Volta – la Patria» (to Volta, the Fatherland). Ahead of the 1999-2000 celebrations, the bicentenary of the pile, the Comune renewed the square: new paving, furniture, greenery and a dedicated lighting system (Camminacittà). The square is pedestrian; around the monument there are benches, cafés and restaurants.
Practical information
- Address: piazza Volta, in the walled city (pedestrian limited-traffic zone). Camminacittà warns that the square is not flat and has level changes with different paving.
- It is always visible: it is an open-air monument. Car park in via Rubini, a short distance away.
- It is the fourth stop of the itinerary Volta’s Como; from here, along viale Cavallotti, you head to the lakeside gardens and the Tempio Voltiano.
Sources
- Oggi a Como, Statua di Alessandro Volta and I luoghi voltiani
- Camminacittà, Como Percorso 6, Monumento ad Alessandro Volta record
- UPEL Italia, Luoghi comaschi di Alessandro Volta
- Wikidata, entry Statua di Alessandro Volta (coordinates).
