Pozzallo, 2 January 1904 - Comiso 30 April 1970

As a child he had begun to prefer drawing, at the same time manipulating the Pietre Nere clay, as the boys of Pozzallo had done for generations: and thus he had gradually arrived at sculpture, by rough-hewing the stones that his father, a building contractor, provided him from time to time.

In this way the artist came to be formed, perfecting himself at the Art Institute of Syracuse and graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome: "Ciccio" (as he was usually called), who had demonstrated good abilities, although preferring sculpture he did not neglect painting due to the intrinsic affinities that made these arts "sisters".

At the end of his studies, however, he decided to dedicate himself to teaching, obtaining the Chair of Drawing and Sculpture at the Art School of Comiso, the pride of a city that could offer art its white "rock", particularly ductile and, therefore, suitable for sculpture.

He also had his own atelier, where he retreated to create works of notable artistic depth which today find their place in numerous public and private collections: among these the plaster casts and reliefs donated to the Municipality of Pozzallo, illustrated in this catalogue.

His is also the bas-relief erected on the national road for Modica in memory of the car racer Gigi Olivari, who died in 1970 during the Coppa Florio and, in the Villa Comunale of Pozzallo, the bronze bust of Raffaele Scala, Garibaldi's hero who distinguished himself in the anti-Bourbon riots of 1860.

Death reached him, at the age of 66, on 30 April 1970.

Source:Luigi Rogasi, Pozzallesi of the 20th century, one hundred names not to be forgotten.