Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Chris Griffin Students who studied abroad created a memorial for Sept. 11 and World War II that symbolizes friendship between Italy and U.S. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Courtesy photo The memorial created by the three Aggies is located in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy. The design signifies the Twin Towers and the Tower of the Cassero in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks and Italians who died during an attack in WWII. The inclusion of both the American and Italian flags is a symbol of friendship between the countries. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Battalion Admin [Click to enlarge]

In the small Tuscan town Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy, the Santa Chiara Study Center houses students each semester for study abroad. Paolo Barucchieri, a professor at the Santa Chiara Study Center for the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University, said he was so influenced by the events on Sept. 11 that when the Spring 2001 students joined his class, he proposed ideas about designing a monument to signify that day.

"It was discussed in my class and the students suggested a competition for a memorial that would be erected in town," Barucchieri said. The city administration was very supportive and allotted a park area for the monument, formed a citizen's committee to select the project and even provided some of the materials."

His students spent the semester researching and designing a monument to portray the effects that Sept. 11 had on Americans worldwide. By the end of the semester, three Aggies had produced a blueprint capturing the essence of the Twin Towers. All of the students' design proposals were presented to Mayor Paolo Brandi and his committee, who reviewed and selected the winning design by Whitney Skinner, Virginia Sternat and Lisa Andel. The three Aggies made their mark on history as designers of the first Sept. 11 monument built outside of the U.S.

"From a designer's prospective, it was an amazing opportunity," Skinner said. "It wasn't just another project for all of the students, it was a great experience and it made a lasting impression on every one of us. It was a great honor, and it helped us to remember where we were when it happened."

It was a sentimental project for the students, and they didn't take the competition lightly. To have their design chosen by the mayor was an immense honor. To them, it was not merely another grade, but a chance to create a masterpiece.

"We wanted to make a statement about Sept. 11. It was an event that shocked the world, but particularly for citizens living outside of the United States and who were at that time unable to return to the United States due to airport closures. It was an event that challenged our worldview," Barucchieri said.

The monument portrays the importance of the Twin Towers and also stands as a memorial for the Tower of the Cassero, a landmark in Casiglion Fiorentino destroyed during an attack in World War II. The students designed a memorial to establish a bond between Italy and the U.S.

The monument stands about three meters tall and is made of pink travertine marble, black granite and pietra serena. It displays the American flag and the Italian flag. A plaque that includes a poem written by a student as a devotion to those lost in war, terrorism and the relationship formed between the two countries is attached to the monument.

"After summer and spring semesters at the Santa Chiara Study Center, I can attest to the warm friendship between the local citizens, the students and faculty at Santa Chiara. I think the memorial is both a beautiful work of art and an enduring symbol of the friendship and support given by the citizens of Castiglion Fiorentino and on a larger scale, the friendship between America and Italy," said Patricia Weise, the assistant clinical professor in the department of teaching, learning and culture and College of Education and Human Development.

There is an annual memorial service that takes place at the monument. Hundreds of people gather to commemorate those who lost their lives. Out of the many who attend the service, about 80 Americans attend every year, including the students and faculty members at Santa Chiara. The event has drawn a wide range of people including Counselor Nora Dempsey from the American Council in Florence.

"There were over 3,000 people at the opening ceremony," Barucchieri said. "Each year, citizens from the town and neighboring areas attend: the police chief and his staff, the mayor's office, local merchants and representatives from various community organizations. There are usually about 300 to 500 people attending."

Brandi speaks at the memorial service each year and supported and helped facilitate the project to ensure its significance to the people. After the memorial was designed, it was taken to a local shop for construction and placed near a small park in Castiglion Fiorentino.

The words on the monument are written in English and Italian. Each year, the students at Santa Chiara carry a wreath to place on the monument, and one of the faculty members reads a small dedication about terrorism and victims of war.

A model of the memorial built in Castiglion Fiorentino stands next to many other historical marks in the George Bush Library and museum.

"It is important to realize the significance of these events and that students can be powerful advocates behind these initiatives," Barucchieri said. "The memorial for Sept. 11 was made because we cannot, and should not, forget what has happened."

Epitaph translation
Memory dedicated to those lost in acts of war and terror.
Memories fortify our fragile human existence. Without them, there would be no love, there would be no pain, and there would be no growth.
Hold dear your memories for unlike other precious gifts, without them, all would be lost.

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