History of the
Italian Cultural Garden

Massive stone columns grace the front entrance of the Italian Cultural Garden, the only public monument to Italy in the City of Cleveland. This magnificently appointed garden, was created through the efforts of Cleveland Italian businessman Philip Garbo, the renowned master of decorative art in the Renaissance style, money was raised to begin construction of the garden on two levels. Mr. Garbo's firm, The Italian Fresco and Decorating Co. designed decorative art and frescoes in over forty private residences, thirty-four churches, numerous banks and restaurants and over one hundred theaters, including the Ohio Theater in Playhouse Square.

The Italian Cultural Garden is designed on two levels in formal landscape style conceived in the spirit of the Italian Renaissance. Mr. Garbo oversaw the building of the Italian Garden to its completion and served as the first President of the Italian Cultural Garden.

The upper level of the garden, designed in a Renaissance manner begins with a wide walkway leading to the large Renaissance fountain which stands in front of a beautiful sandstone balustrade from which two winding stone staircases lead down to the lower level. On the lower level, a tall wall fountain graces an enclosed courtyard with circular stone seating. On either side of this fountain the visages of the stalwart guards of Italian genius, Giotto, Michangelo, Petrarca, Verdi, Da Vinci and Marconi gaze over their bucolic retreat.

The Italian Cultural Garden was formally opened October 12, 1930, "as a symbol of the contribution of Italian culture to American democracy" with the joint celebration of Columbus Day and the 2000th anniversary of the birth of the Italian poet, Virgil. Festivities began at nine o'clock in the morning with three thousand people in attendance.

The Italian Garden has a history of involvement from the Italian government. At the dedication in 1930, Senator Nobile Giacomo de Martin, the Royal Ambassador in Washington, DC, and Count Cesare Gradenigo, Italian Consul, presented a bronze bust of Virgil to the gardens from the Italian government.

In 1932, the Italian government sent a large block of stone hewn from the side of Monte Grappa in northern Italy which was placed in the garden to commemorate Italian War Veterans of Cleveland who fought on Italian soil in 1918 in World War I. In August of 1934, the Right Reverend Monsignor Edidio Vagnozzi, Papal delegate from Rome, visited the garden and in 1936 the Cleveland spring season of the San Carlo Opera Company presented Italian operas in the gardens.

At the Columbus Day celebration in 1935, Mr. Garbo presented two bronze tablets to the Italian Cultural Garden which were affixed to the massive stone columns flanking the main entrance on the upper East Boulevard level. On one tablet were the names of one hundred famous Italians, the Italian coat of arms, and a raised map of Italy. On the other were two figures representing Italy offering America the fruits of her cultural achievement and slated for replacement in the current restoration.