Boy extracting thorn, Botanic Gardens

A marble copy of the famous 'Fidele' (faithful) statue was imported into Australia from Italy, in 1883. The original statue known as 'Fidele' (faithful) or 'Spinario' was a bronze Hellenistic statue given to the City of Rome by Pope Sixtus IV in the twelfth century. The subject matter is believed to be the Roman messenger boy, Marcius, who, despite having a prickle in his foot, braved the pain to deliver his message. The original 1st Century BC statue was discovered between 1165-1167 (believed to be of Greek origins) but now stands in the center of a room in the Palazzo dei Conservatori in Rome . Other copies of thorn boy can be found in the Uffizi gallery in Florence. This statue became one of the first to be copied during the Renaissance Period in both bronze and marble.