Born from a family of farmers in Palermo, Civiletti started his artistic career drawing, modeling clay, and studying with S. Cozzi (modeler of Nativity figures), the painter A. D’antoni, and the sculptor Benedetto Lisi. His studies were also supported by Congressman G. Galati de Spucches, impressed by one of Civiletti’s “Mercury” -Civiletti would later execute, for De Spucches, his monumental Tomb in the chapel of the Rosary in the Pantheon of Palermo (San Domenico).
In 1863, Civiletti participated to the Sicilian exhibition of Palazzo Comitini (Palermo). His creation, “Fauno” captured the attention of the jurist and painter palermitano G. Meli and the Mayor of Palermo (Rudinì), and Baron de Riso, who worked with the City Council to grant Civiletti a scholarship to continue his studies in Florence under Giovanni Duprè.
A year later, he returned to Sicily where he mostly worked for the rest of his life. His works being exhibited all over the world.
Read More
1. Treccani, http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/benedetto-civiletti_(Dizionario_Biografico)/
2. Wikipedia, https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedetto_Civiletti
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