Santa Croce Pio Fedi Statue: Freedom of Poetry in conjunction with the Ellis Island Project for the Statue of Liberty
Florence, September 10, 2019 – The Opera di Santa Croce and the Friends of Florence Foundation collaborated with the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio, to restore the Freedom of Poetry, Pio Fedi’s (1816‒1892) stunning monument to Giovanni Battista Niccolini (1782‒1861), a poet, playwright, and statesman during Italy’s unification (or Risorgimento) in the 19th century. The restoration project is part of celebrations honoring the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Consulate in Florence and diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Tuscany—an independent state when the consulate opened.