Situated in Piazza della Conciliazione of Desio, Italy, the Pope Pio XI Memorial stands proudly. A work by sculptor Alberto Dresler, it depicts the late pope sitting regally on an ornate throne, clad in papal vestments. The monument, made of sturdy marble, towers at approximately 15 feet. Four fountains, each displaying an allegorical representation of a cardinal virtue, surround the base, which is attended by two putti holding the papal coat of arms. A series of books, a rope, and a pickaxe at the back serve as a subtle nod to the local seminarist Achille Ratti's alpine escapades. There, a bas-relief on the throne's base commemorates the Lateran Pacts, showcasing Benito Mussolini and Cardinal Pietro Gasparri signing the treaty, with a Fascist symbol visible in the statue of Fortitude, which clutches a fasces in its hand.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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