Italian Cloister Garden
Arandora Star Memorial
The Glasgow Italian Garden and Arandora Star Memorial is the world’s largest memorial to the victims of the Arandora Star Tragedy
The St Andrew’s Cathedral Italian Cloister Garden was officially opened on Monday, 16 May 2011. It took over 18 months of work to create the dramatic new space next to the Cathedral.
The garden has as its focal point a monument commemorating the Arandora Star tragedy, designed by Roman architect Giulia Chiarini. Its monumental mirrored plinths with inscriptions from the Gospel and the Italian poets, are set in a grass and slate landscape.
A 200 year old olive tree, gifted by the people of Tuscany as a sign of peace and reconciliation is planted at its centre and a fountain and stream traverse the central space, symbols of life and hope.
On the east wall of the Garden marble plaques tell the story of the Arandora Star tragedy. The names of every one of the Scots-Italians who drowned on the ship have been carved on the central plaque.
The splendid new facility is open from dawn to dusk and has already become a favourite tourist spot for visitors in Glasgow. It will also serve as a versatile and much-needed pastoral resource for the thousands of people who frequent St Andrew’s Cathedral each week.
At the opening, Archbishop Mario Conti was joined by then First Minister Alex Salmond, the Lady Provost of Glasgow and Mr Rando Bertoia, the 91 year old who was the only living survivor of the Arandora Star tragedy which is commemorated in the central monument.
Also present were Giulia Chiarini, the architect from Rome who designed the garden and monument and representatives of the civic authorities in the towns from which most Scots Italians come – Barga and Pistoia in Tuscany and Picinisco and Filignano in the Lazio region south of Rome.
Musicians from Milan were flown in to provide musical accompaniment to the events.
The iconic silver mirrored central monument in the garden will recall all who died aboard the liner the Arandora Star, which was sunk while carrying mainly Italian civilians who had been rounded up from their homes, shops and cafes as “enemy aliens” in 1940. It is the largest monument to the disaster anywhere in the world.
The Arandora Star was sunk with the loss of 805 men after being torpedoed by a German U-boat on July 2 1940.
Total Number of dead: 805
Captain Moulton and 12 officers
42 crewmembers [55 of the 174 crew]
37 of the 200 military guard
243 of the 479 German and Austrian internees
470 of the 734 Italian internees
There were 868 survivors.
The Glasgow Italian Cloister Garden and Arandora Star memorial is located next to St Andrew’s RC Metropolitan cathedral – 196 Clyde Street G1 4JY.
