For Immediate Release
 
Contact:  Christy Stefadouros 202-225-5755

House Passes Legislation Authorizing Ceremony for Constantino Brumidi

Washington D.C., July 20, 2005 - Congressman Mike Bilirakis, Co-Chair of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, today announced that the House of Representatives unanimously approved H. Con. Res. 202, legislation authorizing the use of the Capitol Rotunda to honor Constantino Brumidi on the bicentennial of his birth.   The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, July 26, 2005, at 11am in the Rotunda of the Capitol.

The resolution is sponsored by the co-chairs of the Italian American Congressional Delegation, Rep. Bill Pascrell and Rep. John Mica (R-FL-7) and by the other co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic issues, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-14).
 
Constantino Brumidi immigrated to the United States from Italy on September 18, 1852.  He was a student of Rome’s most revered art school, where he studied under artists esteemed by popes and intellectuals.  Brumidi left a promising artistic career in Rome to seek political asylum in the United States.  The son of a Greek father and Italian mother, Constantino Brumidi arrived in New York where he began building his legacy as the ‘Michelangelo of America.’     
 
Bilirakis stated, “Too few Americans know about the impact Constantino Brumidi had on this great nation.  Through his breathtaking works, he masterfully links the birthplace of democracy, ancient Greece, to the world’s newest land of liberty, America.  Who could have imagined that an immigrant would be tasked with beautifying the most significant building in the United States?  I believe that is a testament to his perseverance and our nation’s willingness to embrace those who want to share in the American Dream.  I am tremendously proud that we are honoring this true American patriot.”

Constantino Brumidi’s most famous work is the Apotheosis of Washington, a captivating fresco that covers the canopy of the Capitol dome.  He also painted a majority of the Frieze of American History, a piece that stretches around the base of the dome.  Brumidi’s works can be found throughout the Capitol Building, mainly in the West Corridor, known as the Brumidi Corridor, the Senate Reception Room, the President’s Room and various committee rooms.
  
The following statement was delivered by Congressman Bilirakis on the floor of the House of Representatives:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. Con. Res. 202, a resolution permitting the use of the Capitol Rotunda for a ceremony to honor Constantino Brumidi on the 200th anniversary of his birth.  To some, Brumidi is known only as the “Artist of the Capitol;” however, to many others he is much more.  With his astonishing allegorical artwork, Brumidi links the birthplace of democracy, ancient Greece, to the world’s newest land of liberty, America.  Moreover, Brumidi himself represents what his masterpieces convey.  As a political refugee, Brumidi illustrates the principles upon which this great nation was founded: freedom, liberty, and opportunity. 

On July 26, 1805, Constantino Brumidi was born in Rome to a Greek father and an Italian mother.  He spent his childhood studying at the most prestigious art school in the city and quickly became a renowned artist, receiving a commission to work at the Vatican.  He appeared to have a promising career ahead of him.  However, due to political upheaval in Rome, Brumidi would seek asylum in America where he hoped to find independence and opportunity in a new land. 

On September 18, 1852, fifty-nine years to the day when George Washington laid the cornerstone of the Capitol building, Brumidi landed in New York.  Because of his love of democracy, it would not take Brumidi long to fully embrace his newly adopted home.  That November, he filed paperwork to become an American citizen. 

Many of us have parents or grandparents who emigrated here from other countries looking to escape oppression or to come to the land of opportunity to give their children a better life.  Many of them succeeded in ways they never dreamed imaginable.  Brumidi is one of those success stories.  Who could imagine that an immigrant would be tasked with decorating the most significant building in the United States?  I believe that is a testament both to Brumidi’s resolve and our great nation’s willingness to embrace those who want to share in the American Dream. 

Hundreds of thousands of people walk through these halls every year, but they do not expect to see masterpieces that parallel those in famous European museums and cathedrals.  When they walk into the Rotunda, they do not expect to look to the ceiling and see the magnificent Apotheosis of George Washington and the great symbolism it portrays.  But when they do, they look up and see Freedom, an armed woman trampling terrified despots.  Brumidi perfectly intertwined American themes with his classical Greco-Roman artwork. 

Brumidi was not a soldier.  He never led an army against a tyrannical ruler, but just as Francis Scott Key strikes a chord in our hearts when we hear the “Star-Spangled Banner,” Brumidi’s legacy and contributions to democracy will live forever.  I can think of no better place to commemorate the bicentennial of Brumidi’s birth than in the Rotunda, under his most famous painting. 

Mr. Speaker, Brumidi once said, “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.”  There is no doubt in my mind that Constantino Brumidi did just that. 

Constantino Brumidi has been honored in the Capitol on three different occasions in the twentieth century.  Tributes were held in 1952, 1968 and 1980. 

Home ¦ About Mike ¦ Newsroom ¦ Legislation ¦ Views
Constituent Services ¦ Photo Gallery ¦ Useful Links ¦ Veterans Information
Kids Page ¦ Contact Mike ¦ Privacy and Security ¦ Accessibility