The statue, standing beneath the Palazzo della Regione, is the work of sculptor Giovanni Battista Vismara. Torquato Tasso was born in Sorrento (south of Naples), but his father’s family originally came from Bergamo. In 1575, Tasso wrote Jerusalem Delivered, and thanks to his gaze directed into the distance and the flowing movement of his clothing, the statue conveys the impression of a ruler of the square.

Other artists did not appreciate the statue, but locals particularly note the sense of familial joy it represents and the authority it projects over those who view it. Some even jested about the sculptor, saying: “It is better to be in the prison of Ferrara than in a block of stone in the hands of Vismara” (the sculptor’s name).