European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 21, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Colossus Story and photos by. King of tuner Mediterranean Bureau High atop a Hill on the Shore of Lake Maggiore sits a colossus a Lalue that s also Coto Sally ugly the , outside the town of Arona in Northern imly is n Monument to is. Charles Borromeo. St. Charles May nol have been your classic plan head but the Lalue sure makes him look Tike one. In u 97, nearly two centuries before America s own capper colossus the statue of Liberty came to be. The statue was inaugurated to is known to italians As i be son clone of Aronn Frederico Borromeo ordered la it the  Carlone be erected after his Cousin Charles was canonized in 1610. The project was entrusted to Cerano an architect and artist of High repute. He was instructed to build a unique Monument that could be seen Lor Miles around. Money was to be no object. The Borromco family , Rich and powerful and owned two magnificent cwt s. As Well is most of the land around Lake Maggiore now one of Italy s choices resort areas. Under the original plans chapels were to be dotted along the route to the statue to depict significant moment s in the life of the Saint who Rose to the rank of archbishop of Milan before his death in 15b4. The huge project was Only partially finished with All but three of the chapels completed. The building of the statue itself look decades but by 16.16 the Monument had begun to take form. Then a fearsome plague devastated the area killing Many of the workmen and both Frederico and Cerano. Bui the project did nol die. The work was taken Over by another of the deceased Saint s cousins. Count Charles Borromco. The count made sure thai Cyrano s plans continued lobe followed and workers began hammering Copper sheets into place on the statue s massive Iron Cage. Constructing such a statue today would amount to a significant engineering accomplishment in the 17lh Century it was a sniggering achievement. The statue s Frame is supported by Stone and masonry. T hat Core is overlaid by an Iron Cage and the Cage is covered by a skin of Copper plates. The statue had to be Given elasticity if it was to stand up to the Region s fierce Winter gales. This was done by incorporating a Complex system of stress absorbing pulk is into its upper reaches. By the Lime the colossus was completed if had Cost Between $15 million and $20 million in today s Money. The Cost though staggering would have been  higher had not much of the work been done for free by the pious locals. Make no mistake about it the san Capone is a monster of a statue. It is the tallest in Western Europe edging by about nine feet the runner up the statue of the lady of lepus in France s Loire Valley the san Carlone is less than half As High As the lofty statue of Liberty however. The Salue at Arena stands 67 feet tall Ami sits on a ,17-Rool-Hlgh Pedestal. The statue of Liberty in the new York Harbor stretches 151 eel from its base to the lip of its Torch and stands atop a i 54-foot-Hlgh Pedestal visitors providing that they Are at least 12 years old arc allowed to climb up into the statue head for a glimpse out through the Eye holes. The climb up up and up via an old Iron ladder is not one to be aide opted by anyone fearing Heights.  rom Wilri Finuf wait 13