The Italian Legacy in the Dominican Republic

THE ITALIAN LEGACY IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

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na; the Chiesa Madonna dei Remedi in Palermo, Sicily; the Church of St. Anthony of Padua in New York; and

The Sanctuary Church of St. Anthony in Hawthorn, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Arrighini is the author

of the Stations of the Cross in Villa de la Quebrada (1949–51), in the Municipality of Belgrano, in the city of

San Luis, Argentina. That sculptural ensemble comprises the fourteen stations and 62 life-size figures carved

in marble. It was inaugurated on May 3, 1952. Nicola Arrighini died in a car accident in 1977. The family’s

business concerns have continued in the hands of his descendants.

President Balaguer’s public beautification project aimed to effectuate “a policy of acknowledging the

values of national identity, admiration, and respect for national heroes and patriotic figures, and dissem-

inating these values among the citizens, so that their actions serve as an example to emulate, especially

for future generations in which the origin of the Homeland should be instilled” (

Listín Diario,

September

8, 1971, 4).

The aforementioned goals and criteria were put into practice on the occasion of the 132

anniversary

of the birth of General Gregorio Luperón, a major figure of the Restoration (1839–1897). This commemo-

ration was marked by the inaugurations of avenues and promenades that included equestrian statues of the

Hero of the Restoration in Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata. On August 16, 1971, Avenida Luperón was

inaugurated, and a two-ton bronze statue created by Nicola Arrighini was placed at the new avenue’s in-

tersection with Mirador Sur Avenue in a ceremony presided over by President Balaguer; Secretary of State

“without Portfolio” César Herrera; the high command of the Armed Forces and military academies; repre-

sentatives of the Dominican Academy of History, the Duartiano Institute, and the secretaries of the Interi-

or, Police, and Education; and various civic associations. The Presidential Guard, in full uniform, opened

the event by playing the National Anthem, accompanied by a 21-gun salute, after which the historian César

Herrera, secretary of State and director of Information, proceeded to read an encomium to Gregorio Lu-

perón that highlighted the following:

Bronze statue of hero

Gregorio Luperón

by Nicola Arrighini.

Inaugurated on August

16, 1971 in Santo

Domingo. Today,

this work is located

outside the Monument

for the Heroes of

the Restoration

in Santiago de los

Caballeros.