The Griffin of Sirmione to Franco Ghirardi: the city’s tribute to its master stonemason.
The City celebrates the artist who helped transform the vision of the Pietra&Co. exhibition into a contemporary art heritage.
On the occasion of the closing ceremony of the PIETRA&Co. – Identità nel rumore e nel silenzio exhibition on November 19th, the Mayor of Sirmione, Luisa Lavelli, awarded the Sirmione Griffin to Franco Ghirardi, a historic figure and a key figure in the relationship between Sirmione, art, and the Brescia marble tradition.
“To Franco Ghirardi, Friend of Art and of Sirmione”: this is the dedication engraved on the Griffin, testifying to the artist’s deep bond with the city.
An artist who gave shape to a vision
Born in Carpenedolo in 1938, Ghirardi trained at a young age at the prestigious local school of architectural and ornamental drawing directed by Umberto Gardelli. After years of passionate study, he chose to dedicate himself to working with marble in the family business, bringing his artistic sensibility to the sector.
His work took him around the world, where he created important marble works and expanded his cultural horizons. At the same time, he worked for over a decade in public administration, specializing in public works and urban planning. At forty, he decided to devote himself fully to his work and his artistic vocation, taking advanced courses in drawing, watercolor, and oil painting.
Today, Ghirardi focuses his research on landscapes, still lifes, and especially sculpture, through which he explores the human figure, its evolution, relationships, emotions, and the complexity of contemporary thought. His works, initially conceived in clay or plasticine, find their full expression in marble, a material the artist shapes with a balance of vigor and refinement, combining shadows, reflections, and luminosity.
The inspiration behind PIETRA&Co: ideas that become works
For nearly twenty years, Ghirardi has been the design soul of PIETRA&Co., helping to transform artistic intuitions into installations, itineraries, and works that have enriched Sirmione.
As Mayor Lavelli recalled:
“With the Griffin, we pay homage to Franco Ghirardi and the deep bond that unites him to our community.”
The awarding of the Sirmione Griffin to Franco Ghirardi represents not only a personal recognition, but also a tribute to the vision, commitment, and creative dialogue that have contributed to making PIETRA&Co. a living and ever-evolving cultural project. This gesture seals a genuine relationship between the artist and the city, destined to endure over time.
In the gallery, moments from the finishing touches and the awarding of the Griffin to Franco Ghirardi
