By: Emma Eskridge and Radhika Patel
While walking through Bellarmine’s beautiful (yet unfortunately hilly) campus, scholars can’t help but notice the various statues and sculptures scattered throughout. These engravings liven up the landscape, but their meaning transcends their visual appeal. By taking a closer look at these alluring sculptures, scholars can get a rich and more complex understanding of Bellarmine and its origins.
St. Francis of Assisi
As scholars begrudgingly hike up the hill to get to their classes, they will encounter a concrete statue of Saint Francis of Assisi surrounded by greenery and flowers. Saint Francis was a Catholic friar, deacon, and preacher famous for starting many catholic orders that continue to influence the world today. Two years after his death in the thirteenth century, he was canonized. Saint Francis is the patron saint of Italy and nature. He was known for his love of animals and it was even recorded that he tamed a vicious wolf that posed a threat to a village. Because of his devoted love for animals, he is often depicted with them, so in his depiction at Bellarmine he is shown holding a small bird.
St. Angela Merici
Just off the corner of the Quad near the Wyatt Center for the Arts and Cralle Theater, scholars can immediately receive a glimpse of the mysterious, yet intriguing statue of Saint Angela Merici atop a pedestal, gazing down at all who look up at her. Saint Merici was an Italian religious educator, later honored by the Catholic Church. She founded the Company of St. Ursula, a group of women who dedicated their lives to go out into the world to minister to people in need. Many of the Ursuline Sisters focused on enriching the quality of education; those who settled in Louisville established Ursuline College, a Catholic College for women, in 1938. Thirty years later, Ursuline merged with the all-men’s Bellarmine College, promoting a co-educational and independent university.
St. Robert Bellarmine
Bellarmine University could not be complete without a statue of its namesake. Outside the W. L. Lyons Brown library, a detailed, towering statue of the saint keeps students studying at the outdoor tables company. St. Robert was an Italian cardinal during the Renaissance and noted as an instrumental figure in the counter-reformation and the trial of Galileo. Today, he is revered for his unwavering faith. His statue, completed in 2010, indiscreetly tells a lot about St. Robert if one uses careful observation. He is standing on an intricate city, dotted with acacia trees and detailed buildings; with observation, one can see that the small cities that he is standing on represent Rome and his native town of Montepulciano. In this depiction of the saint he is also holding his book De Controversiis Christianae Fide, where he addresses major theological controversies of his time. From St. Bellarmine, students can be inspired to live a life of conviction and humility.
Veritas
Arthurian legend and the quest for the Holy Grail. Located near Centro Hall in the Quad, the statue of Veritas is illustrious in all its glory. The knight, mounted on his steed, Veritas, represents the noble dedication to truth that is reflected in the university’s motto, in veritatis amore. The sculpture was unveiled as part of the university’s 50th anniversary; at the time it was the largest statue in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Sculptor Bob Lockhart personalized the piece with Surrealist touches, such as hidden figures and little creatures, which are described on the base. “It’s typical in my work to leave things on there that you need to find,” he says. “Those things are to intrigue you and make you look.”
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