While most people know the bronze bust of Austrian composer Gustav Mahler created by famed sculptor August Rodin, few are aware of this majestic, life-sized statue in Dobiacco, Italy. Created by Bojan Kunaver, this statue is the centerpiece of the charming Rathausplatz. 

Mahler is best known as one of the tying threads between traditional Austro-German composition and the rise of modernism. He is also remembered for the 10 symphonies he composed over the course of his lifetime.

Gustav spent the last few summers of his life between 1908-1910 in Dobiacco. There composed the masterworks of his Ninth and (unfinished) Tenth Symphonies, as well as his Das Lied von der Erde. These were written within the walls of a small hauschen (composing hut) on the Trenkerhof farm where he stayed during this time. It still stands today and is open to visitors. 

The surrounding, soaring vistas of the Dolomite mountain range inspired his compositions. Visiting this village offers a view of what Mahler saw in nature and in the town itself.