Vittoriano
The sculpture, made of chased and partially gilded and silvered bronze, was created by Antonio Ximenes on commission from the Sicilian people to celebrate Giuseppe Garibaldi and the heroic feat of the Thousand. The work is inspired by the classical clipeus, the large, round, and convex metal shield used by Greek and Roman soldiers. For this reason, the focal point of the composition—placed in substitution of the umbo (boss) of ancient military shields—is the gilded, full-round head of the Hero of the Two Worlds, surrounded by an oak wreath inscribed with the names of the locations of his main battles in Italy, America, and France.
The central band features eight allegorical figures, including Agriculture, Industry, Commerce, and Abundance, alternated with the coats of arms of the cities symbolic of the expedition: Calatafimi, Marsala, Milazzo, and Palermo. Other allegories, such as Justice, Charity, and Fortitude, appear in the medallions along the orthogonal axes. The outer edge is decorated with cherubs (putti), Risorgimento coats of arms, a laurel wreath bearing the names of the Thousand, and the signs of the zodiac. Donated to Garibaldi on May 11, 1878, the anniversary of the landing at Marsala, the shield was later offered to the city of Rome and exhibited several times during official celebrations.
Stolen in the early 2000s, it was recovered in 2019 thanks to the intervention of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (TPC) and returned to the Central Museum of the Risorgimento.
