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Gallo di Ramperto

Gallo di Ramperto is a weather vane in copper sheet, originally gilded and silvered, made around 820 or 830 on the commission of Bishop Ramperto. It was created to crown the bell tower of the Church of Saints Faustino and Giovita in Brescia. The rooster remained in place for more than a thousand years before being removed in 1891 for restoration and conservation in the city museum, now the Museo di Santa Giulia. It is largely intact, with only the tail feathers missing; these originally bore the dedicatory inscription. Dating to the early 9th century, it is considered the oldest surviving weather-vane rooster, with an age of nearly 1,200 years.

Gallo di Ramperto, a weathered metallic bird sculpture with traces of gold on its crest and tail, mounted on a tiered spherical pedestal inside a display case.
Gallo di Ramperto, a weathered metal bird sculpture displayed on a tiered pedestal inside a case.
© · Public domain
Gallo di Ramperto rooster weather vane with a weathered metallic finish and green patina.
The Gallo di Ramperto rooster weather vane is shown with its worn metallic surface and traces of green corrosion.
© · Public domain
Gallo di Ramperto rooster sculpture with a weathered greenish-brown patina on a tall stand.
The Gallo di Ramperto rooster sculpture shown in profile on its tall mounted stand.
© · Public domain
Gallo di Ramperto rooster weather vane sculpture with a gilded surface on a two-tiered pedestal.
The Gallo di Ramperto weather vane, shown as a rooster sculpture with traces of gilded finish, mounted on a pedestal.
November 2020 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Close-up of the weathered tail section of Gallo di Ramperto, showing green corrosion and traces of a golden finish.
Detail of the weathered tail section of Gallo di Ramperto, with corroded metal and remnants of a gilded surface.
© · Public domain

Identification

TitleGallo di Ramperto
Translated titleRamperto's Rooster
TypeWeather vane rooster

Historical context

DateEarly 9th century, probably 820; some scholars proposed 830
Commissioned byRamperto, Bishop of Brescia
Commission purposeTo adorn the top of the bell tower of the church of Santi Faustino e Giovita in Brescia
Historical contextCreated in the context of the cult of Saints Faustino and Giovita and the renewal of their church complex under Bishop Ramperto, after the translation of the saints' relics to Santa Maria in Silva in 806

Creator

MakerUnknown; the object bears a damaged signature that has been read only as "M [...] OALDVS"

Materials

MaterialCopper sheet over an iron framework
Support spheresTwo gilded spheres, 20 cm and 15 cm in diameter

Technique

ConstructionThin copper sheet, possibly double-layered, hammered and curved around the framework and fixed with numerous nails

Physical characteristics

SizeSlightly smaller than life-size

Appearance

SignatureA maker's signature at the base is heavily damaged and only partly legible as "M [...] OALDVS"
Inscription textFragmentary: "PRECEPIT ANNO D" and "O SEXTO"
MountingNot fixed, but pivoted on the spheres to turn in the wind
InscriptionA Latin dedicatory inscription was incised on both sides of the tail feathers, but only a few fragmented words survive
FormRooster with a wide, flattened tail
Surface finishOriginally gilded and silvered; traces of gilding still remain, especially on the wattles

Location and ownership

Original locationTop of the bell tower of the church of Santi Faustino e Giovita, Brescia
Current locationMuseo di Santa Giulia, Brescia

History and restoration

Removal from tower1891
Reason for removalTo be restored and preserved in the museum
ConditionEssentially intact, though the tail feathers are damaged and much of the inscription is lost
RestorationRestored before being placed on permanent display in 1999
ReplicaA copy was made in 1938 and placed back on the bell tower

Significance

Historical significanceConsidered the oldest surviving weather vane rooster today
Publication and scholarshipFirst published by Cosimo Lauri in 1572; later described by Ottavio Rossi (1624), Bernardino Faino (1670), Gian Andrea Astezati (1728), Gian Maria Biemmi (1748), Francesco Novati (1905), and Fedele Savio (1929)
Authenticity debateIts date and authenticity were long disputed: Biemmi considered it a fake, Novati accepted a 9th-century date as plausible, and Savio argued that the inscription's indiction should point to 830 rather than 820
Approximate ageNearly 1200 years