Continue toward Piazza XX Settembre where, in one corner, you’ll find the Cherub and the Goose (Il Putto con l’Oca), a bronze copy of a Graziosi statue that depicts a child intent on stealing a fish from a goose that is trying to take it. Commissioned by the city in the early 1930s, the statue was intended to be positioned high above the center of the square. Currently, it is located in a corner on a “more modest” two-lobed basin. In the 1980s, the original statue was moved to the Giuseppe Graziosi Gipsoteca in the Palazzo dei Musei. At the end of this tour is a more in-depth description of the Palazzo.
Nearby, in the historic Albinelli Market, the Maiden with a Basket of Fruit (La Fanciulla con Canestro di Frutta) is on display. Built in 1931 as Graziosi's first local public contract, the bronze statue was built to provide water to clean fruit and vegetables purchased in the market. The maiden stands within a basin, a basket of fruit under her right arm and a sheaf of wheat in her left hand.
The Maiden with a Basket of Fruit remains a charming and important presence in the Albinelli Market, the temple of Modena’s culinary traditions.
While at the market, take time to immerse yourself in the colors and flavors of this symbolic location. The connection between past and present can be felt in the air here. Shop at one of the many stalls inside or enjoy a meal at one of the market’s small tables.
