This sculptural detail captures one of two soldier figures from the War Memorial (Monumento ai Caduti) located in the Sixth Cloister of the Certosa di Bologna, created by Ercole Drei.
The work forms part of the memorial programme at the Certosa, the former Carthusian monastery that has served as Bologna’s monumental cemetery since 1801. The dual soldier figures represent the commemorative sculptures installed to honour those lost in conflict. Drei’s approach to the figures demonstrates the sculptural conventions of early-twentieth-century Italian memorial art, where individualized forms conveyed both heroism and pathos.
About the Certosa di Bologna
Originally founded as a Carthusian monastery in 1334 and suppressed in 1797, the Certosa was transformed into the city’s monumental cemetery in 1801. Its architectural spaces, including the cloisters, became venues for commemorative programmes and artistic installations throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Details
- Creator: Ercole Drei
- Location: Sixth Cloister, Certosa di Bologna, Bologna
- Type: Sculptural detail (one of two soldier figures)
- Context: War Memorial (Monumento ai Caduti)
Frequently asked questions
Who created this sculpture?
The work was created by Ercole Drei, an Italian sculptor.
Where is the memorial located?
The Monumento ai Caduti is situated in the Sixth Cloister of the Certosa di Bologna, which has functioned as the city’s monumental cemetery since 1801.
What is the memorial’s purpose?
The Monumento ai Caduti serves as a war memorial, with Drei’s paired soldier figures commemorating those lost in conflict.
diLeonardoBistolfi.jpeg?w=768&resize=768,0&ssl=1 "La volontà o l'Industria by Leonardo Bistolfi, c. 1925")
