Right here stands the statue of Basilio Calafati. Many think he is fictional like the “Great Chinese”. But this monument honors a real person. He was a notable figure in the Prater’s history.
Basilio Calafati was quite the character. He was born in Triest in 1800. Later, he became a magician. He took the stage name Salamucci. This was in 1820. He performed in the Prater.
Twenty years later Calafati got a license. It allowed him to run a merry-go-round. In 1848, he made some changes. He replaced the two horses with steam locomotives. He named them Pallas and Peking.
Calafati didn’t stop there. He removed the carousel’s roof. Then he installed the “Great Chinese” statue. It stood there until 1945. During the Battle of Vienna, it was destroyed. The statue you see now is a replica. It was unveiled in 1967.
Besides the carousel, Calafati created new attractions. He opened a restaurant and billiard hall. He always strived to offer the Prater’s audience new things.
The “Great Chinese” figure is nine meters tall. It became a symbol of the Wurstelprater. Originally, it decorated Calafati’s carousel. That was after he rebuilt it in 1854. The figure topped a free-standing mast.
In 1932, the carousel and “Great Chinese” were restored. Eighty meters of brocade fabric was used. Seventeen kilograms of horsehair made the long braid. In 1935, the carousel became a protected monument.
Peter Cornelius even wrote a song about the figure Calafati.
Basilio Calafati died in 1878. He was buried at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. His tombstone can still be seen there. In 1905, his remains were moved. They now rest at the Vienna Central Cemetery.
In 1963, the city named Calafatiplatz after him. It’s in the 2nd district. Until 2018, a large bronze statue stood on Riesenradplatz. In 2019, it was moved to Calafatiplatz. That is where it stands now.
So next time you see the Calafati Statue remember Basilio Calafati’s story. He was not a fictional character. He was an innovator. He left a lasting mark on Vienna’s Prater. His spirit lives on in this statue. It reminds us of the Prater’s vibrant history.