Romano Cosci (1939 - 2014)

Romano Cosci studied painting (with Ferruccio Vezzoni) and sculpture (with Leonidas Parma) in Pietrasanta, not far from the famous marble quarries of Carrara. As a painter as well as a sculptor he always remained committed to the old masters and found his life's theme in church art. Numerous of his frescoes adorn churches throughout Italy. Even more important, however, are his sculptural works in marble and bronze. His statues adorn churches in many Italian cities; recent works include a portrait of Blessed Bartolo Longo in Pompeii (2000) and a bronze door with the motif of the eight martyr priests of Versilia (2001). His main work (a large marble portrait of Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei), was placed in a niche of St. Peter's Basilica in 2005 after two years of work. 

Cosci's ecclesiastical art, in its realism, consciously fits into church space and tradition. But also his sculptural works without church reference show great respect for the great sculptural tradition of his native country.