Italy is not only Rome, and if you have already had the chance to visit and travel in this region of the Italian kingdom, let us strongly recommend you to continue and conquer new regions such as the magical Tuscany. This region of Italy is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful places in the entire world and with an exact combination of a great culinary experience, spectacular views, and fun attractions, it’s no wonder those who visit Tuscany fall in love.
Among the must-see sites for those traveling in the area, you will find the Pulcinella Clock Tower, which was originally the clock tower of the Sant’Agostino Church and to this day stands in front of the church building in a central location in Siena. However, the tower itself, as beautiful as it is, would not attract much attention among visitors to the area if it weren’t for the statue standing at its top – the statue of Pulcinella, a fictional character drawn from the Commedia dell’Arte of the 17th century AD.
This famous character also stars in puppet shows presented in Naples, both those intended for children and humorous shows intended for the adult audience. For the locals, the figure symbolizes the “voice of the people” and in order for his voice to be heard, he was given extraordinary qualities, both in his appearance that cannot be ignored and in character traits such as wit, rudeness, foolish spirit, pride and sometimes even cruelty.
There are many theories about who built the statue, why he gave it this appearance, and why he placed it at the top of the clock tower, but there are many questions from the answers in this case and the mystery that surrounds the issue undoubtedly contributes to the great publicity that the tower receives and makes it one of the most famous and popular tourist centers in this area of Siena.
As for the statue, if you look at it carefully, you will notice the details and a lot of work that went into it. It is made of wood which is coated with metal and is connected to the mechanism of the tower clock in such a way that at any fixed time its arm hits the bell and it announces loudly. “The voice of the people”, we have already said. Some claim that the figure, as ridiculous as it is, looks so real that they thought that Pulcinella would soon come down from the top of the tower and start a speech, or start throwing things at the passers-by looking at him from below.
