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Capitoline Wolf in Timișoara

Capitoline Wolf is a statue in Timișoara’s Victory Square, between the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Palace of Culture. It is a copy of the famous Capitoline Wolf and was donated by the municipality of Rome in 1926 as a symbol of Latinity, celebrating Roman Empire culture. The monument depicts the legend of Rome’s founders, Romulus and Remus, suckled by a she-wolf, and is listed as a historical monument under code TM-III-m-B-06314. The statue was unveiled on 23 April 1926 before a large crowd and was later removed during World War II. It was restored to its place during Nicolae Ceaușescu’s time.

Capitoline Wolf statue on a tall column against a blue sky in Timisoara.
The Capitoline Wolf stands atop a tall column, silhouetted against the sky and nearby buildings in Timisoara.
June 2011 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Capitoline Wolf monument on a tall column in a city park, with flower beds and buildings nearby.
The Capitoline Wolf monument rises on a tall column in a landscaped city park.
April 2015 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Capitoline Wolf statue mounted on a tall column in a public square, with a large arched building in the background.
The Capitoline Wolf monument stands on a tall column in Timișoara, with a large arched building behind it.
April 1937 © · CC BY 3.0 de
Capitoline Wolf statue atop a tall stone column in a public green space, with buildings, trees, and a tram in the background.
The Capitoline Wolf stands on a tall column in an urban park, with city buildings and a tram visible nearby.
© · CC BY 4.0
Capitoline Wolf statue of a she-wolf nursing two infants, partially obscured by fog with ornate rooftops behind it.
The Capitoline Wolf statue stands above a foggy city backdrop with ornate rooftops visible behind it.
January 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleCapitoline Wolf in Timișoara
TypeMonument; statue
Original-language nameDie Kapitolinische Wölfin
SubjectThe Capitoline Wolf, an exact replica of the Lupa Capitolina in Rome

Historical context

Installation date23 April 1926
Unveiling date23 April 1926 (St. George's Day)
Unveiling attendance10,000 people
First monument statusDescribed as the first monument unveiled in Timișoara after the creation of Greater Romania

Creator

Presented byGiulio Cesare Codecà, Italian consular agent in Timișoara

Discovery and provenance

DonorThe city municipality of Rome
Gift date1926
Gift contextOne of four copies of the Capitoline Wolf donated to Romania by the municipality of Rome and the Government of Italy between 1906 and 1926 as a sign of recognition of the Latin origin of the Romanian people and the ties between the two peoples
Recipient cityTimișoara
Other Romanian recipient citiesBucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Chișinău

Physical characteristics

Column height4.96 meters

Materials

MaterialBronze

Appearance

Depicted sceneThe she-wolf suckles Romulus and Remus

Location and ownership

LocationPiața Victoriei, Timișoara, Romania
PlacementIn the city center, between the Opera House and the Cathedral of the Three Holy Hierarchs / Metropolitan Cathedral, on a square in the I. District Cetate
Current statusListed as a protected monument; inscribed in the list of historical monuments under code TM-III-m-B-06314
Current locationThe center of Timișoara

Iconography and meaning

Symbolic meaningA symbol of Latinity and of the shared Romance roots of the Italian and Romanian peoples
InterpretationGlorifies the Roman Empire culture of that period
DedicationIn memory of the Latin ethnic kinship between the two peoples

History and restoration

RemovalTemporarily removed from the city center during World War II after the Second Vienna Award, amid protests against Fascist Italy's support for Hungary's territorial claims
ReinstallationReinstalled during Nicolae Ceaușescu's time after local officials decided to put the statue back in the center of Timișoara
LightingReceived artistic night illumination in December 2012

Significance

Cultural significanceOne of the landmarks of the city