One of the most beautiful and unique grave markers you will find anywhere identifies the final resting place of Angelo and Rosa Di Salvo at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Ill. The elaborate and detailed marble statue shows a family of five -- mother, father and three daughters.
The mother is seated at the center of the monument, behind a small stone railing, and her left hand rests on an open book. The intricate detail in the carving, from the flowered vines cascading over the low railing to the lace on the womens' clothing, is amazing. Based on the clothing, the statue looks as if it could have been made from a family photograph taken in the late 19th or early 20th century.
The marker identifies the parents -- Angelo Di Salvo (1869 - 1932) and Rosa Di Salvo (1872 - 1927) -- and includes two small photographs of them.
But the most amazing and unique aspect of this marker isn't its beauty or the intricate detail work of the sculptor. The entire statue is mounted on a platform and it rotates. It doesn't move on its own, but if you push it, the entire top half of the monument swivels 360 degrees. Considering the size and weight of the monument, it isn't too difficult to move, which means it must be perfectly balanced.
But who were Angelo and Rosa Di Salvo, and why did they create such an amazing and elaborate monument? Is there a reason they wanted their family sculpture to be able to turn in any direction?
Unfortunately, those questions remain unanswered.