At the start of the Renaissance in the exact center of Florence —Piazza del Mercato Vecchio to be precise – is where it happened. A column was adorned with a statue sculpted by Florence’s great artist Donatello of a woman carrying a cornucopia full of fruit: la Dovizia, abundance.
The center of Florence was where artisan goods and knowledge were exchanged. It makes sense then that the people would choose to unite financial good fortune with natural bounty in this symbol. A statue depicting Dovizia can be found in the same square, today called Piazza della Repubblica. It’s from these same sources—art, the city, nature—that Il Bisonte still finds its wealth of artisan creativity.