Life Lessons from Pippo, a Dog.
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| Pippo the Dog. Statue and Poem - Torre del Lago, Tuscany |
We are not very sentimental in the cute cat Facebook sense. Adorable animals have just not had a high profile here. While no horses have been harmed in making these articles, that's pretty much as fuzzy as we've gotten. Until we met Pippo.
Pippo is dead. Sorry, there's no way to fudge that sentence. He has a statue along Viale Giacomo Puccini near Lake Massaciuccolo in Torre del Lago and that's near Viareggio in Tuscany. If you are curious about the area, read our article, Visiting Americans Invade Peaceful Italian Lake.
Here's our translation of the inscription by the statue.
Pippo, a dog without a master, with coat of brown and eyes of gold, full of antique sorrow and a peace recovered, lived for 20 years on the promenade Puccini.
Though he appeared in 1977 with a deep bullet wound on his back, he knew to forgive and keep trust in man.
Adopted by the inhabitants of the lake, he taught everyone, without extraordinary gestures, the true significance of kindness, forgiveness, friendship, and liberty.
Imprisoned, like every mortal being, by the net of life and of time, he was a testament to the magic of an existence fully lived, with dignity and coherence to one’s true self.
A story of love and gratitude reciprocated between man and man’s best friend.
Written by Martha