Valentini's Memorial

It is not known where the large statue in bronze of a female figure that adorns the Valentini monument, standing opposite the man representing work, was cast. It is however certain that the women depicted, who is carrying a young boy in her arms, and is accompanied by an older boy, represents the Pietà (pity or piety). The cultural climate at the end of the 1800s gave rise to an imagined union between the most humble working classes and illuminated entrepreneurs whose intention it was to guide the people toward economic progress. This pensive figure aptly conveys this ideology; she is embracing her children, real or imaginary, in a preciously decorated cloak. The nobility of her features is well represented by the artists, who created one of the most interesting burial groups in the cemetery of Mantua.