Gennarino Scugnizzo – Capri, Italy - Atlas Obscura

Gennarino Scugnizzo

This bronze boy sits on one of Capri's rocky cliffs, waving at the passing boats. 

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The bronze statue at the eastern end of Capri would be easy to miss if you didn’t know where to look. Known as Gennarino Scugnizzo, he sits on a large boulder called Lo Capo, where he waves at passing tourists and islanders on boats as they head to Marina Grande in the Gulf of Naples, across the Strait of Sorrento. (It is also called the Statue of Welcome.)

Gennarino Scigunizzo di Capri is a young Neapolitan boy, a scugnizzo, which is a colloquial term for street urchin, living and sleeping on the city streets. But Gennarino found a home on Capri. It is tradition to greet him as you pass, whether arriving or leaving the island. Especially, he wants to entice women that pass on boats to stop on the island. You are supposed to wave at him to avoid bad luck and have good luck as you visit Capri. Yell strongly, “Ciao, Gennarino!” and your outlook will be bright that day.

Know Before You Go

You can see this statue by boat. The statue of the small bay can be reached on foot by a path starting at the entrance to Villa Lysis in the district of Tiberio. The danger of falling rocks makes it forbidden to stop on the small cliff or to drop anchor in the water in front of it.

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August 16, 2022

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