Monumento a Ercole e Anteo: Parma's Embracing Giants

The Monumento a Ercole e Anteo, affectionately called 'I du brasè' by locals, is a captivating monument located in Piazzale San Francesco in Parma. This copper sculpture portrays the mythological struggle between Hercules and the giant Antaeus. Created between 1684 and 1687 by Flemish sculptor Teodoro Vanderstruck, based on a design by Francesco Maria Reti, it was initially part of a fountain in the Ducal Garden. Water once flowed from the mouth of Antaeus, integrating the sculpture with its aquatic surroundings. Over the centuries, the monument has been moved several times. In 1784, it was relocated to the courtyard of the Palazzo della Zecca. During the Napoleonic era, it was temporarily placed in the Ducal Garden again. In 1825, it found a new home in a niche on the ground floor of the Palazzo del Comune. To preserve the original after an act of vandalism, it was moved to the courtyard of Palazzo Cusani, also known as Casa della Musica, in 2003. A copy now stands in its place at the Palazzo del Comune. The statue represents a famous scene from mythology: Antaeus, son of Poseidon and Gaia, gained strength when touching the Earth. Hercules, realizing this, lifted Antaeus into the air to defeat him. The sculpture embodies energy, determination, and ingenuity, reflecting Parma's spirit.