Raggi Ruggeri Monument, 1928

The complex bronze monument dominates the New entrance and is Armando Minguzzi (1884-1940) masterpiece at Certosa. It was built in memory of the motorcyclist Olindo Raggi (1896-1926), "dark-haired centaur with the heart of a lion and nerves of steel" and later also of Amedeo Ruggeri (1889-1932), who died in an accident while trying to achieve the world speed record in Montlery.
The monument is especially significant as it attests to how athletic talent had become of particular social and political importance during the Fascist period. At the centre of the composition is represented the Pietà that lays down the body of the deceased (Olindo Raggi), while behind is a large diptych: on the left are visible motorcyclists, while on the right is a group of young girls laying flowers in honour of the many victories achieved.
Despite Minguzzi's attempt to follow the strict classicist compactness of the time, the monument still carries remnants of an Art Nouveau taste.