Statua di Alessandro Volta (Statue of Alessandro Volta)

Statue in Como

Como, Piazza Volta
CC BY-SA 3.0 / Sailko

In 1780, Luigi Galvani began experimenting with frogs’ legs, using bits of metal to make them twitch when a small electric current passed through. Galvani and his followers believed that the electricity was produced by the animal tissue itself. However, Alessandro Volta, a native of Como, disagreed and sought to prove that the sparks were actually generated by the interaction between different metals.

This debate ultimately led Volta to create the Voltaic Pile, the first electrical battery, demonstrating that electricity is chemically generated. Volta’s groundbreaking invention sparked significant scientific interest and laid the foundation for the field of electrochemistry. Although this discovery brought him fame, Volta preferred a quiet life and eventually retired to his country home, where he passed away at the age of 82.

In 1838, a monument honoring Alessandro Volta was erected in Como. The statue, crafted by the renowned artist Pompeo Marchesi, stands on a massive base and pedestal designed by Francesco Durelli. Volta is depicted in a toga, reminiscent of ancient Roman attire, with a book in his left hand and his right hand resting on the Voltaic Pile.

The base of the monument bears an inscription in Italian with Roman numerals, reading “A VOLTA / A PATRIA / A MDCCCXXXVIII” (“To Volta / From the Homeland / 1838”). Two bronze tablets in the flower bed surrounding the monument commemorate the invention of the Voltaic Pile, marking the centennial in 1899.

The Statua di Alessandro Volta (Statue of Alessandro Volta) appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Como!

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Visiting Statua di Alessandro Volta (Statue of Alessandro Volta)

Address: Statua di Alessandro Volta, Piazza Alessandro Volta, Como, Province of Como, Italy

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