| Athena Giustiniani replica |
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A marble replica of the Athena Giustiniani existed at Wells College since its founding in 1868. It was seen as a symbol of resilience at the college due to its survival of incidents over 156 years, before its head was lost in 2024 due to a moving attempt that took place during the college's closure.
History
editThe marble statue was a gift for the founding of Wells College in 1868 from a son of businessman Henry Wells. It is thought to be an 1860s copy of the Athena Giustiniani, which is itself a Roman replica of a Greek bronze sculpture.[1]
In 1888, the statue survived a large fire at the college. In 1975, it was subject to an attempted theft, but similarly survived the ordeal. As a result of its survival of these incidents, the statue began to be seen by students as a symbol of resilience. Students took part in a ritual of kissing the statue's feet for good luck and referred to "her" as a fellow student. The statue was seen as a symbol of what it meant to be a "Wells woman"[1]
Decapitation
editOn 29 April 2024, Wells College announced its closure due to a lack of "adequate financial resources to continue." As a result, plans to professionally move the statue were taking shape, with the aim of protecting it from vandalism or theft. However, a group of employees of the college chose to move the statue themselves to save the college money. A class reunion in May that year involved the statue being covered in rosesOn June 12, 2024, workers attempted to move it by strapping it to a furniture dolly, then hanging it horizontally from the bucket of a backhoe which featured moving straps. The statue's head proved too heavy, and it fell off; those present said it hit the ground with a loud thump, and that the backhoe operator placed his hands over his face and shouted an expletive.[1]
The statue's head and body was moved to a steel-lined vault in an undisclosed ___location on the college campus, with professional repairs planned. A group of graduates who were attempting to stop the closure of Wells College through legal injunction, the Cleveland Commission, had a one-day jump in donations of $9,500 after the beheading.[1]
- ^ a b c d Aguiar, Annie (21 June 2024). "Students Kissed Her Feet for Good Luck. Now She's Missing Her Head". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 6 April 2025.