Monumento all'Indiano, Florence

The Monumento all'Indiano or Monument to the Indian, more specifically "Monument to the Maratha Maharajah of Kohlapur, Rajaram Chhatrapati" consisting of a small dome, or baldacchino, over the bust of the Indian prince, located at the east end of the Parco delle Cascine, of Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy.[1]

Monumento all'Indiano

Monumento all'Indiano
Location in Tuscany
Coordinates	43°47′25.59″N 11°11′52.18″E
Location	Parco delle Cascine, Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Designer	Charles Francis Fuller
Type	Monument
Dedicated to	Maratha Maharajah of Kohlapur, Rajaram Chhatrapati

This is a peculiar monument attached to an unusual event. In 1870, returning from London after paying his respects to Queen Victoria, the 21 year old Maharajah, Rajaram II died from a febrile illness in his hotel room in the “La Pace Hotel"[2]

His courtiers asked to conduct a cremation, or Antyesti ceremony, at the confluence of two rivers. They were able to perform a ceremony at the confluence of the Arno and stream of the Mugnone, near this site in the park. The events and the ceremony elicited a great deal of curiosity in the public.

The act of cremation, banned in Florence, led to a fierce argument among doctors and scientists as to the merits and morals of the funeral technique.[3]

The costs of the monument were financed by the British government, who employed the sculptor Charles Francis Fuller. The base has inscriptions in English, Italian, Hindi, and Punjabi.[4]

In 1972, a modern bridge was built near the site and takes the name of Ponte all'Indiano.[5]