The ANNOTICO Report

Constantino Brumidi, known as the "Michelangelo of the U.S. Capitol" worked
25 years, crowned by his most famous work, the "Apotheosis of Washington" on the
ceiling of the dome in the Rotunda, where President Reagan recently lay in state. (See
below for more on Brumidi's life and work.)

Last February, Congress passed a resolution which asks the President
to honor Brumidi by issuing a proclamation commemorating the 200th
anniversary of his birth in 2005. But many Americans, including those
of Italian and Greek descent, believe that this great man deserves more.

They are calling for Brumidi to receive one of our nation's highest  honors
the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

This prestigious award is given at the sole discretion of the
President and may be granted posthumously. This year, President Bush
presented the Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony to 13
distinguished Americans, including Arnold Palmer, Rita Moreno and
Doris Day.

Is there any question in your mind, whether or not if he is as Deserving?

You may want to express your opinion. (See Below)

Next year will mark the bicentennial of the birth of one of the most
important immigrants from Italy ever to become an American citizen
Constantino Brumidi, known as the "Michelangelo of the U.S. Capitol"
in Washington, D.C. He is America's ideal immigrant-citizen, who
brought the best of Italy to the United States.

Brumidi was born in Rome, Italy on July 26, 1805 to an Italian mother
and Greek father who inspired his lifelong love of liberty.

On the eve of his bicentennial, Brumidi merits the recognition of our
nation for his magnificent artistic accomplishments, which serve as an
enduring expression of his profound love for his adopted country.

Brumidi's paintings, representing 25 years of work, beautify the most
important building in America -- the U.S. Capitol. Today those
paintings continue to inspire visitors, as they inspired the millions
who have viewed his works for nearly 150 years. His most famous work
is the "Apotheosis of Washington" on the ceiling of the dome in the
Rotunda, where President Reagan recently lay in state. (See below for
more on Brumidi's life and work.)

Last February, Congress passed a resolution which asks the President
to honor Brumidi by issuing a proclamation commemorating the 200th
anniversary of his birth in 2005. But many Americans, including those
of Italian and Greek descent, believe that this great man deserves more.

Many are calling for Brumidi to receive one of our nation's highest
honors -- the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

This prestigious award is given at the sole discretion of the
President and may be granted posthumously. This year, President Bush
presented the Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony to 13
distinguished Americans, including Arnold Palmer, Rita Moreno and
Doris Day.

Recently, the leaders of the National Italian American Foundation, the
Order Sons of Italy in America and the American Hellenic Educational
Progressive Association wrote to President Bush asking that he award
the Medal of Freedom to Constantino Brumidi.

Very few Americans of Italian or Greek decent have ever received the
nation's highest civilian honors, from a President or from Congress.

If, after reading the article below, you believe that Constantino
Brumidi should be given this honor in recognition of his outstanding
artistic contribution to the United States, then, I urge you to
communicate your feelings to President Bush with a letter preferably
sent by e-mail or fax. If your time is limited, a simple telephone
call will do.

Also, PLEASE, ask that the award be given this October, during Italian
American Heritage Month. Giving the award this year will guarantee
that Brumidi's bicentennial year and related observances will receive
widespread attention.

I strongly suggest that you not use regular mail or your letter will
not be opened at the White House for several months.

Your letter should take the following form:

Dear Mr. President:

To send your letter to the White House, use:
Fax: (202)456-2461
E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov
To reach the White House comment line, call (202)456-1111.

Your letter need not be long, just a few short paragraphs. It will be
most effective if it expresses YOUR sentiments on this subject. Your
letter WILL make a difference!
 

If you are in agreement with this message, I encourage you to forward
this e-mail to family members, friends, colleagues, and members of
Italian American and Greek American groups, particularly those who
live outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Please send me, by fax or e-mail, a copy of of the letter you send to
the White House. Thank you for your interest and attention.

Yours truly,
 

Joseph N. Grano, Chair
The Constantino Brumidi Society
3881 Newark St., NW, Apt. A-475
Washington, D.C. 20016-3029
Tel/Fax 202-364-2526

In his eloquent eulogy for President Reagan, President Bush said, "He
believed that America was not just a place in the world, but the hope of
the world." Indeed, President Reagan frequently described America as a
unique "city on a hill." Millions of immigrants have come to the United
States for centuries, knowing how special America is and hoping to realize
their dreams of a better future here. Their dreams and hard work have made
America a great country. One such immigrant was Constantino Brumidi, known
as the "Michelangelo of the Capitol," whom, I propose, be given
posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold
Medal, our nation's highest awards for civilian achievement.

Constantino Brumidi was born in Rome, Italy in 1805 to an Italian mother
and Greek father who inspired his love of liberty. Trained as an artist in
the styles of the Italian High Renaissance and Baroque and in the ancient
Roman art of true fresco painting, Brumidi worked in palaces and churches
in Rome and at the Vatican. So accomplished was he that he was commissioned
to do a portrait of the reigning Pope Pius IX. In 1851, falsely accused of
a role in the failed revolution in Rome, Brumidi chose permanent exile over
a long prison term and soon left for America. Arriving in New York in 1852,
he immediately applied for citizenship, which was granted in 1857. Knowing
of the U.S. Capitol expansion, he sought work there in 1855 and, to prove
himself, painted "Cincinnatus at the Plough" in what is now the House
Appropriations Committee Room. Congressmen and Senators so admired this
fresco that Brumidi was immediately engaged and remained at the Capitol for
the next 25 years.

His career in the Capitol, however, was not without controversy. During the
mid-1850s when the anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant "Know Nothing" party was
at the peak of its strength, there were organized attempts to have Brumidi
fired simply because he was foreign-born. Fortunately, Congress resisted
the pressure and Brumidi was allowed to continue painting, bringing his
artistry to the Rotunda, many committee rooms, and the Senate corridors.
His outstanding work in the President's Room of the Capitol produced one of
the most beautiful rooms in America. Throughout the Capitol, Brumidi's
magnificent paintings and decorations depicted the history, inventions and
values of the United States. In 1871, Brumidi created the first tribute to
an African American in the Capitol when he placed the figure of Crispus
Attucks at the center of his painting of the Boston Massacre. While
Congress was in session, Brumidi also painted in Catholic churches along
the east coast, including St. Aloysius on North Capitol Street in
Washington, D.C. and Our Lady of the Scapular and St. Stephen on East 28th
Street in Manhattan.

In October 1879, at the age of 74 and in ill health, while painting the
"frieze of American history" in the Rotunda, nearly 60 feet above the
floor, he slipped and nearly fell to his death. After hanging by his arm
for 15 minutes, he was rescued. He returned to work the next day! He soon
retired and died four and a half months later, on February 19, 1880,
exactly 25 years to the day that he began painting in the Capitol.

When President and Mrs. Bush paid their final respects to President Reagan
in the Rotunda, they saw two of Brumidi's finest works, "The Apotheosis of
Washington" in the Capitol dome and the frieze that circles the Rotunda.
These two works, seen by thousands of visitors each year, continue to
inspire a greater appreciation of America's history, achievements and
ideals. But, what makes Brumidi's story so moving is how his work embodied
his devotion to the United States. He knew that conveying the theme of
liberty in the U.S. Capitol, through his art, would be his highest
achievement. As Brumidi himself eloquently stated: "My one ambition and my
daily prayer is that I may live long enough to make beautiful the Capitol
of the one country on earth in which there is liberty." These inspiring
words are on Brumidi's grave marker, paid for by Congress in 1950.

This year, Congress unanimously passed a resolution, sponsored by Senator
Trent Lott of Mississippi and Representative John Mica of Florida,
authorizing the President to issue a proclamation in honor of the
bicentennial of Brumidi's birth in 2005. I propose, in addition to this
resolution and proclamation, that Congress award the Congressional Gold
Medal and that President Bush award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to
this great artist and great American, for his contributions to and love of
his adopted country. Constantino Brumidi should be honored and promoted as
the model immigrant-citizen of the United States.