Dante Alighieri

About three years ago, I became interested in the Italian Cultural Gardens, in Cleveland, Ohio’s cultural district. I interviewed, Joyce Mariani, director of the garden’s foundation, who has been spearheading the rejuvenation of the gardens. My story was published in this spring’s issue of Primo Magazine, an Italian American publication.

 

The Italian Cultural Gardens is one of about 26 nationality gardens, located in the cultural area on the East Side of Cleveland, along Martin Luther King Drive. This area includes the museums, botanical garden, and much more.

 

One of the crowning achievements of the garden was the recent unveiling of the beautiful bronze statue of Dante Alighieri, the father of modern Italian language and writer of The Divine Comedy, one of the greatest literary works in Italian and a masterpiece in world literature. The statue was carved by sculptor Sondro Bonaiuto, a Clevelander.

 

During the process of writing my story, two years later, Sondro Bonauito finished the Dante statue, and it was dedicated in the garden, this July. Although I hadn’t attended the unveiling of the statue, this summer while visiting a friend, we drove to the cultural garden, where I viewed the statue. It is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. The greenish bronze of the statue makes it look as if Dante has been in the garden for years, quietly watching and approving the renovation of the garden. I took photos of the statue…close ups, ones at a distance, and I snapped all four sides of the monument. The statue spoke to me and I was taken with the peaceful and wise gaze of Dante. Because of these feelings I wanted to conduct an interview with this great master, but I settled for a number of photos.

 

I actually had a hard time leaving the garden, after taking the pictures. Then when I realized that I played a little part in getting the story out about Cleveland’s Italian Cultural Garden and the statue of Dante Alighieri, I turned my camera off, knowing that I would have photos and a magazine article reminding me of my accomplishment.