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Remus and Romulus were born to Rhea Silvia (the daughter of a king) and the war god, Mars. There were ordered to be drowned in the Tiber River, but the trough in which they were placed floated down the river and came to rest at the site which would later become Rome. Finishing its journey at a sacred fig tree, the Ficus ruminalis, a she-wolf and a woodpecker, both revered by Mars, suckled and fed them until they were found.
After my visit to Segovia recently, I learned something. On my next visit to Rome, there is a place that I need to visit.
The Capitoline Museums.
Sure, I always enjoy the historical artifacts displayed in museums, especially in Rome, but there is one thing in particular that I want to see.
The famous bronze statue of the Capitoline Wolf with Romulus and Remus beneath her belly.
The Capitoline Wolf represents the origins of Rome and depicts the goddess Luperca suckling Romulus and Remus. The original was placed in the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Campidoglio in Rome in 1471 but was then later moved to the Capitoline Museums. Today, a copy is situated on a pillar at the northern corner of the Palazzo Senatorio.
Crazy thing is that as many times as I have been to Rome, I was never aware that this statue existed. As I stepped off of the bus in Segovia, however, after the amazing aqueduct, a copy of this statue was one of the first things I saw.
Interesting enough, the original statue, located in Rome, was favored by Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator. Upon his orders, duplicates were made and distributed to cities throughout the world, including Argentina, Austrailia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Libya, Moldova, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and yes…Spain.
The statues were dedicated to the city of Segovia in 1974 as well as Merida, and Tarragona and today is a popular landmark…one of the first things visitors to the city see.
So don’t miss it. See it in Segovia. See it in Rome. See it in Paris. See it in Bucharest. See it…well…in many place, thanks to Mussolini.
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Statue of Remus and Romulus
- Address: Plaza del Azoguejo 1, 40001 Segovia Spain
- Hours: 24 hours, daily
- Admission: free