Il Porcellino means ‘the little pig’ and is a bronze wild boar sculpture situated outside the Sydney Hospital.
The sculpture was a gift to the City of Sydney from Marchesa Fiaschi Torrigiani. It is a replica of a monument in Florence. The sculpture is a memorial to Thomas Fiaschi and Piero Fiaschi, Marchesa’s father and brother who both worked as honorary surgeons at the Sydney Hospital.
The Sydney bronze was completed and installed by 18 April 1968. The formal presentation ceremony was later conducted on 16 December 1969, as the Marchesa had had to return suddenly to Italy due to illness in the family.
The Boar is said to bring good luck if you rub it’s nose and make a donation! An inscription on the momument reads: When you rub my nose and make a wish your donation supports research, education and development at Sydney Hospital, Australia’s First Hospital.