Monument to Pietro Micca

This monument was made in 1863 by the Trecate-born Risorgimento sculptor Giuseppe Cassano. In 1864, it was placed on the keep of the military stronghold. It was commissioned to celebrate a famous Savoyard solider who gave his life during the French siege of Turin, which was part of the War of the Spanish Succession. Pietro Micca died on the night between 29 and 30 August 1706 when he blew up some barrels of gunpowder to block the way of the enemy troops. Not all of the historical details of the episode are clear, but it became a legendary tale because of the romanticized version that appeared in some publications and works of art depicting Pietro Micca. The statue shows the moustachioed artilleryman with a fuse in his hand and a proud stance, with the typical puffed-up chest of a hero.