NEWS

The American Friends of Italian Monumental Sculpture (AFIMS) is dedicated to assisting the City of Genoa in its efforts to preserve the art and artistic legacy of the Camposanto di Staglieno for the education and appreciation of current and future generations. Overflowing with breathtaking artwork, Camposanto di Staglieno in Genoa is one of Italy’s greatest hidden sculptural treasures. Bookmark this page to follow our restoration progress. Learn how your donation helps our mission.

Il Grifo della Città di Genova a Walter Arnold

AFIMS president Walter S Arnold gave this speech in Italian upon the presentation of the Grifo award honoring our work to preserve and promote the magnificent sculptures of Staglieno Cemetery in Genoa.
Scanzi's Casella monument

Casella Tomb, 1877

Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, we  were able to restore Giovanni Scanzi\’s beautiful Casella monument 2018. Work took about three months. The Casella sculpture prior to restoration. Heavy layers of black crust were breaking down the surface of the marble. The Casella sculpture Carlo Casella\’s son commissioned Giovanni Scanzi to sculpt this 1877 memorial. […]

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ansa website

ANSA news agency story

ANSA is the Italian national press agency. On May 31, 2017 they published a story (in Italian) titled \”Risplendono monumenti funebri Staglieno\” about the restoration work on the masterpieces of this monumental cemetery, and they wrote of AFIMS and our work.

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Staglieno book

Staglieno book

Staglieno – The Art of the Marble Carver This book, written by AFIMS president Walter S. Arnold, introduces the Camposanto di Staglieno in Genoa, one of Italy’s greatest hidden sculptural treasures. Visit this outdoor museum and revel in the wonders bequeathed to us by the unimaginable effort of many of Europe’s finest marble carvers and […]

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Ballestrero Olivari 1931

Italian Cultural Institute lecture

Afims president Walter S. Arnold will present a free slide lecture about the sculpture of Staglieno Cemetery at the Italian Cultural Institute in Chicago, 500 N Michigan Avenue, Suite 1450. Apr. 25, 2017, 6 p.m. More info at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/staglieno-cemetery-genoas-magnificent-neglected-sculpture-museum-tickets-33016813177 Genoa is not on the “grand tour”of Italy- everyone focuses on Rome, Florence and Venice. Very […]

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Restored Carpaneto monument

Carpaneto Memorial, 1886

Restored winter 2016-2017. This restoration was undertaken independently with funding from an anonymous donor in collaboration with established experts in art history and conservation, and carried out in the spirit of supporting the restoration work of the American Friends of Italian Monumental Sculpture (AFIMS). The Giacomo Carpaneto Monument by Giovanni Scanzi, 1886 The Carpaneto Monument […]

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Staglieno Restoration

Genova Quotidiana news story

Genova Quotidiana, an online newspaper about Genoa, has published and article and 17 minute video interview with AFIMS president Walter S Arnold, showing and discussing our work to preserve the masterpieces of Staglieno.   You can see the entire article on their website.

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Cleaning the Marchese sculpture

Marchese Tomb, 1881

Restoration work began Dec. 12, 2016 and took four months The Marchese tomb by Domenico Carli, 1881 The sculpture prior to restoration. The Marchese memorial, Staglieno Cemetery, Genoa, Italy. We restored all four statues in this crossing area, bringing back the original beauty of this section of Staglieno Cemetery. Portrait relief on the pedestal of […]

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Restored-Campodonico-feature

Campodonico Memorial, 1881

Restoration of this sculpture took 12 weeks, and was completed December 30, 2016. Caterina Campodonico, a favorite of the Genovese citizens Much beloved, Caterina Campodonico stands as a symbol of the strong, independent spirit and pride of Genoa. Caterina Campodonico Of all the sculptures at Staglieno, Caterina Campodonico is probably the one dearest to the […]

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Staglieno bibliography

Bibliography – books about Staglieno Cemetery

Many books about Staglieno Cemetery in Genoa, Italy have been published over the past 150 years. Most are out of print, and many are quite rare and hard to find. Those still in print are generally smaller paperbooks in Italian, often just collections of artistic photographs. Guidebooks with maps are also available at the guard […]

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gallery

Harper College lecture

AFIMS president Walter S. Arnold will be presenting a program on Staglieno Cemetery on July 6, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. as part of the Lifelong Learning series at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois. The cost is $19.00 and you can regsiter online. Hope to see you there! Here is the link to register, Look for […]

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“... On either side, as one walks down the middle of the passage, are monuments, tombs, and sculptured figures that are exquisitely wrought and are full of grace and beauty. They are new and snowy; every outline is perfect, every feature guiltless of mutilation, flaw, or blemish; and therefore, to us these far-reaching ranks of bewitching forms are a hundred fold more lovely than the damaged and dingy statuary they have saved from the wreck of ancient art and set up in the galleries of Paris for the worship of the world.”

— Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad , 1869

© AFIMS 2024

American Friends of Italian Monumental Sculpture
Working with Camposanto di Staglieno, Genoa, Italy

American Friends of Italian Monumental Sculpture is a United States based not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization, and all donations to AFIMS are fully deductible to the full extent of the law. AFIMS is dedicated to assisting the City of Genoa in its efforts to preserve the art and artistic legacy of the Camposanto di Staglieno for the education and appreciation of current and future generations.