Giuseppe Verdi Monument (San Francisco) Explained

Giuseppe Verdi Monument
Italic Title:no
Artist:Orazio Grossoni
Medium:Bronze
Subject:Giuseppe Verdi
Height Imperial:288
Metric Unit:cm
Imperial Unit:in
Weight:52 tons
City:San Francisco, California, U.S.
Coordinates:37.7692°N -122.4684°W
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:13

The Giuseppe Verdi Monument is installed in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, in the U.S. state of California.[1] The monument was dedicated on March 23, 1914, to the soprano singer Luisa Tetrazzini. Ettore Patrizzi, an Italian newspaper owner, raised $15,000 for the monument through a subscription fund. The monument was made by Orazio Grossoni, an Italian sculptor from Milan.[2]

History

Planning for the monument began after Giuseppe's death on January 27, 1901.

In 1900, Ettore Patrizzi, the editor and owner of L'Italia, started a subscription fund that collected $15,000 for the monument's dedication.[3]

The dedication for the monument took place on March 23, 1914. The monument was dedicated to soprano singer Luisa Tetrazzini, who performed at the dedication. Attendance was recorded at about 20,000.

In 2003, the statue was restored, with the bust of Verdi being regilded.

Description

The statue stands at 24 feet and weighs 52 tons. tall and features a bust of Giuseppe Verdi at the top of the statue. Below the bust is a depiction of the four muses, Love, Tragedy, Joy, and Sorrow. At the back of the monument's base is a poem written by arch-nationalist poet Gabriele d'Annunzio.

Poem

Translated into English, the poem reads as follows:

He drew his chorus

From the deepest vortex of striving masses

He voiced the hopes and sorrows of all humanity,

He wept and loved for all.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Pollock, Chris. San Francisco's Golden Gate Park: A Thousand and Seventeen Acres of Stories. August 4, 2001. Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co.. 9781558685451. Google Books.
  2. Web site: Golden Gate Park – Verdi – Public Art and Architecture from Around the World . 2023-01-22 . artandarchitecture-sf.com.
  3. Web site: Center . San Francisco Public Library, Art, Music And Recreation . 2012-05-15 . The Verdi Statue in Golden Gate Park . 2023-01-22 . San Francisco Public Library Art, Music and Recreation Center.