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Il Gobbo di Rialto

Il Gobbo di Rialto, also known as the Hunchback of Rialto, is a statue of Istrian marble located opposite the church of San Giacomo di Rialto in Venice. Created in the 16th century by Pietro da Salò, it depicts a crouching, naked hunchback supporting a small staircase. According to Stefano Magno, it was inaugurated on 16 November 1541 and used as a platform for official proclamations. It also served in the punishment of minor offenders. In 1836, the municipality restored the statue and added a Latin inscription on the platform; an iron grille was installed for protection. The sculpture was also linked in tradition to the speaking statue Pasquino in Rome and may have inspired characters in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

Il Gobbo di Rialto, a weathered stone figure crouching beneath an inscribed block beside a reddish column.
Il Gobbo di Rialto in Venice, shown as a crouching stone figure supporting an inscribed block.
August 2014 © · CC BY 4.0
Close-up of Il Gobbo di Rialto, showing a weathered stone crouching figure supporting a carved element.
Close-up of Il Gobbo di Rialto, the weathered stone figure beneath the stairs in Campo San Giacometto.
© · Attribution
Il Gobbo di Rialto, a white marble crouching figure holding up an inscribed plaque beside a reddish-brown column.
Il Gobbo di Rialto, the crouching marble figure beneath a column in Venice.
© · Attribution
Close-up of Il Gobbo di Rialto showing the weathered stone head and hunched upper body beneath an ornate carved structure.
Close-up of Il Gobbo di Rialto, the weathered stone figure supporting a carved structure above.
© · Attribution
Weathered stone plaque with a carved Latin inscription and a decorative stone capital beneath it.
A weathered Latin inscription plaque associated with Il Gobbo di Rialto.
© · Attribution

Identification

TitleIl Gobbo di Rialto
TypeMarble statue
Alternative nameGobbo di Rialto; Hunchback of the Rialto

Historical context

Date created16th century; unveiled on 16 November 1541 according to Stefano Magno

Creator

ArtistPietro da Salò

Physical characteristics

SubjectA crouching, naked hunchback holding up a small staircase

Materials

MaterialIstrian marble

Location and ownership

LocationOpposite the Church of San Giacomo di Rialto, near the Rialto market, Venice, Italy
Associated structureColonna del Bando, a red granite column nearby, originally from Acre as war booty
Associated officialThe Comandador

History and restoration

Change in punishment ritualIn 1545 the kissing point was moved about ten meters to the side, and the Croce dei frustài was placed on the adjacent pillar as the new object to kiss
Protection addedAn iron grille and an octagonal metal balustrade were installed
RestorationRestored in 1836 with funds provided by the city/civic authorities; a Latin inscription with the restoration date was added above the hunchback's head
Additional punishment useAlso used as the endpoint for flogging punishments
Punishment ritualThe condemned were stripped naked and made to walk or run from Piazza San Marco to Rialto, sometimes through citizens’ gloves laid along the route, and could end the humiliation by kissing the statue
Wear and conservation issueThe statue was worn down by repeated kisses from condemned people
Punitive useUsed as the endpoint of punishments for minor offenders and thieves
ProclamationsOfficials read the Republic of Venice’s laws or the names of offenders from the platform; proclamations were also made from the Pietra del Bando near Piazza San Marco
FunctionPodium for official proclamations

Iconography and meaning

FormA crouching figure supporting a small flight of steps
Name originCalled a gobbo because of its hunched posture
Traditional roleA traditional symbol of the Rialto

Significance

Relation to PasquinoSaid to communicate with Pasquino, one of the talking statues of Rome
Pasquino's roleFrom the early 16th century, Pasquino was used for anonymous satirical criticism of the pope and authorities
17th-century correspondenceIn the 17th century Pasquino allegedly exchanged correspondence with the Gobbo about the Republic of Venice, Pope Paul V, and the writings of Cardinals Baronius and Bellarmine
Literary inspirationSome scholars suggest that Launcelot Gobbo and Old Gobbo in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice were inspired by this figure