Vermont

At the Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont

This is an amazing carving, here is the story - 

Perhaps the one memorial that stands out is the one to Elia Corti. He was a truly gifted young Italian who carved, among other things, the four panels on the Robert Burns statue on the front lawn of Spaulding Graded School. Please take a close look at those panels. They are beautifully and meticulously carved with great attention to detail.

On Elia Corti's grave site is an outstanding piece of memorial art. It is extraordinary because it is cut from one block of granite. It is life size and we are told that it is a remarkable likeness of the man. Mr. Corti is seated in front of a shell rock pitched stone. His hand rests on a shortened column. It is complete in every detail showing the seams in his coat, the folds of his tie and the creases in his trousers, the buttons and button holes down to the last thread. The tools of his trade, calipers, chisel, square and hammer are at the foot of the shortened column. The palm leaf on the other side symbolizes Spiritual Victory. This memorial was lovingly and carefully carved by his brother William Corti and his brother-in-law John Comi.

The tragic story of Elia Corti at the age of thirty-four years is a tale of human interest. According to the Barre Daily Times of October 5,1 903: "He was shot in the stomach and mortally wounded at a meeting in the Socialist building on Granite Street. Corti died at midnight last night at Heaton Hospital in Montpelier having lived about thirty hours after he received the bullet. The shooting occurred at 7:15 PM on Saturday evening and was the outcome of a general discussion between the socialists and anarchists present. Andrew Garetto was arrested and charged with the shooting. Garetto was sentenced to serve not less than ten nor more than twelve years in state prison." On his release he returned to Barre but left shortly after and it is believed that he went back to Italy. Elia Corti and his monument are very much a part of the story of memorial art.