Monument to the Indian

It was built in 1870 by the British sculptor Charles Francis Fuller. The monument takes the form of a vaulted canopy supported by four pillars, beneath which is carved the bust of the late Indian prince Chuttraputti Rajaram of Kolhapur with an inscription in four languages: Italian, English, Hindi and Punjabi.

The young prince was returning from a trip to London - where he went to study and to greet the Queen of England - and while he was staying at the Grand Hotel Florence Piazza Ognissanti was hit by a sudden illness that the November 30, 1870 killed at the age of twenty-one.

His body was burned according to Hindu rites at the confluence of two rivers (in this case and Mugnone Arno), where his ashes were scattered.

The event raised at the time the curiosity of many Florentines who came in large numbers to attend the event and since then the place was called "the Indian".

In 1972 a bridge was built near the monument that was called Bridge to India.