Emma The famous feline of Viareggio
Down at the harbour in Viareggio you will find a statue of one of the most loved inhabitants of Viareggio, Ettore. The cat was abandoned in 1997 and found its new life around the harbourside of Viareggio with his new fisherman friends.
The local fisherman dropped off the extras from their catch to their little friend, who waited patiently for his friends to return from their fishing trips. Ettore was a favourite with tourists as well as locals and was missed when the time came for Ettore to cross the rainbow bridge. He was 19 in December 2016 when he died. A long life for any cat, never mind one living harbourside. Was it the love from his friends? Or his daily fish? Whatever it was he was truly missed.
Local legend has it that Ettore was named by local resident Alfredo, who would visit Ettore every day to say hello and give him some food. Alfredo missed his little furry companion and would return each day to the spot where Ettore would sit to pay his respects. Alfredo’s daughter managed to obtain sponsorship for a statue of Ettore to ensure that he was forever in Viareggio.
