When in Florence, everybody goes to see the famous Ponte Vecchio (the Old Bridge) on the River Arno, but not everyone knows about a statue of a wild boar, tenderly called Il Porcellino, which means “piggy”. The statue is in fact a small fountain and is situated quite close to the bridge, in Mercato Nuovo (the Straw Market). As far as I know, it is a copy of a copy - Pietro Tacca made one in the 17th century, basing it on some Greek statue.

Padua, a very nice, picturesque city, has one special tradition. On the market square, where by the way you can buy a variety of juicy fruit and different vegetables, there is a nice fountain. Padua, Italy - fountain We were told that in the past this very fountain had witnessed one of the most peculiar traditions we have heard of. When a man graduated from a university, his fellow students dipped him in the fountain and they definitely did their best to make him soaked wet.