The national competition and the winning project
In January 1932 the Lega Navale announced a national competition for the design of the Sailors' Monument, aimed at Italian architects and sculptors. The monument was to be built on the "Posillipo" area of the port of Brindisi, opposite the steps to the Roman columns.
In the announcement they set the criteria of sobriety, solemnity and austerity to inspire the competitors' work. They requested an imposing needle carved from smoky marine rock, 30-40 metres high, and at its base a crypt for tombstones with the names of the sailors who died; sculptural works were to convey the idea of the life and work of the sailor. Each project had to be marked with a motto and the total expenditure could not exceed 1,200,000 lire.
Of the 92 entries submitted, the winner was the project "Sta come torre" (It stands like a tower) by the architect Luigi Brunati and the sculptor Amerigo Bartoli, its form inspired by a rudder. Tied in second place were the projects "Luce di Gloria" by Angelo di Castro and Enrico Martino, and "Oltremare" by Emanuele Mongiovi and Francesco Coccia.
