Monument to Gaius Valerius Catullus

The Monument to Gaius Valerius Catullus was commissioned in 1935 by Luigi Trojani, mayor of Sirmione, to the Clodoveo Barzaghi artistic foundry in Milan, with the assistance of the sculptor Pompilio Villarubbia Norri.
The bust is dedicated to the famous Roman poet (Verona, 84 BC – Rome, 54 BC) who resided in Sirmione and was known for the intensity of the loving passions expressed in his verses.
Carme 31 by Catullus (84-54 BC) recalls the poet’s happy return to his house in Sirmione. The passage, which attests to the presence of a property of the rich Veronese Valerii family, to which Catullus belonged, has been linked to the imposing remains of the so-called “Catullus’ Caves” since the 15th century, so much so that the name has become common use although the villa was certainly built after the poet’s death.
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