Legend of the wild “half-woolen” sow

The bas-relief of the wild “half-woolen” sow (scrofa semilanuta) Palazzo della Ragione, Piazza Mercanti, Milan

The wild sow is a mythological animal and symbol of the city of Milan dating back to eras preceding the establishment of the city government. Legend has it that the founder of Milan was the Celt Belloveso, who crossed over the Alps and the territory of the Aedui ultimately arriving on the planes of Padania.

Belloveso saw in the place indicated by a goddess in his dream a wild boar sow having very long fur on the front of her body (scrofa semilanuta). The Celt leader decided to build his city in that place and to call it Mediolanum, or in other words “semilanuta” (half-woolen).

As a memento of this legend, and the dedication of the city of Milan to the wild boar, a bas-relief depicting the animal is on display at piazza Mercanti in Milano, on a column of Palazzo della Ragione.