Grifo d’Oro Award

Walter S. Arnold traveled to Italy at the age of 20, to apprentice in the traditional marble studios of Pietrasanta. The carvers who took him under their wings told him that, if he wanted to see what was possible in this medium, he had to visit the monumental cemetery of Staglieno, two hours north in the city of Genoa. Thus began his lifelong passion for this magical place, the largest open air sculpture museum in Europe and a collection unique in the world. Over the course of his career he has returned frequently, always learning from the thousands of masterpieces in this cemetery, but becoming increasingly concerned at the neglect, deterioration and loss he encountered. As a result, in 2010 he and his wife formed a non profit organization, American Friends of Italian Monumental Sculpture (AFIMS) to work with the city of Genoa and find American and international donors to help save these irreplaceable and inspirational works of art.

These efforts have, to date, led to the restoration of 15 major works of sculpture, and helped bring both worldwide and local attention to this nearly forgotten treasure on the outskirts of the city of Genoa. In recognition of this work, in April 2019 the City of Genoa presented Mr. Arnold with their highest award for those who help support and promote their ancient city, the Grifo d’Oro. Previous recipients of this prestigious award have included architect Renzo Piano, astrophysicist Margherita Hack, musician Peter Gabriel, Shimon Peres, Carla Del Ponte, Vanessa Regrave and Michail Gorbachov.

You can learn more about Staglieno Cemetery, and the work to save these magnificent sculptures, at afims.org

The city has shared Mr. Arnold’s acceptance speech, which he presented in Italian, on youtube: