Perhaps Dan Brown could recommend a Harvard symbologist to unravel the strands of symbolism here. Christ (holding a bouquet of artificial flowers, because he stood still too long in a Catholic cemetery) is stepping down from a ruined Ionic temple, his left hand seeming to gesture toward the ruins behind him, as if he has something to tell us about them. We could say that the ruined temple represents shattered and broken paganism, and Christ shows the way forward. Or perhaps, in spite of the Greek style, the ruins represent the Temple in Jerusalem, where not one stone was left upon another, and Christ emerges fresh from that ancient tradition, stepping forward to bring the real Temple to us.
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Catanzaro Monument, Calvary Cemetery
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Schreiner Mausoleum, Union Dale Cemetery
A large and luxurious classical structure with a prominent cupola topped by a statue of Hope shaking her fist at heaven. At least that is how old Pa Pitt always reads the statue: it is certainly Hope (the anchor is her ID card), and Father Pitt doesn’t know what else to make of the raised-fist salute.
Ornate monograms flank the entrance arch.
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Hemphill Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery
A simple but elegant Ionic mausoleum, seen here with the much more extravagant Brown pyramid in the background.
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Fownes Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery
A rich-looking Ionic façade with a Victorian profusion of details, including rusticated stone blocks. It seems to have been a stock model; an exact duplicate was built for the Wilson family in the Union Dale Cemetery.
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Heinz Mausoleum, Homewood Cemetery
Generations of Heinzes rest in this Jeffersonian domed mausoleum, including H. J. the ketchup king and the late Senator John Heinz.