Giuseppe Verdi Monument (San Francisco)

The Giuseppe Verdi monument stands twenty-four feet tall and weighs fifty-two tons, an imposing presence of red and black Baveno granite brought all the way from Italy. The sculptor, Orazio Grossoni, designed the piece to feature a six-foot bronze bust of the composer at the summit. Below this bust, you will see four allegorical figures representing the fundamental elements of artistic inspiration: Love, Tragedy, Joy, and Sorrow. To ensure the monument remained entirely authentic to the Italian heritage of its subject, even the decorative bronze parts were cast in Italy before being shipped across the ocean to San Francisco.