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PO Box 7
273 Lakeview Avenue
Valhalla, NY 10595 |
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| LOUIS PALMA di CESNOLA |
| Proceed southeast on Commerce Street to the next intersection with Tecumseh Avenue. Bear right on Tecumseh, heading south. To the right of the Herter mausoleum, at the crest of the hill is a tall monument, topped by a cross to Louis Palma di Cesnola that is said to be a nobleman by birth of the Piedmont region of Italy. An archeologist and soldier of the Crimean War, di Cesnola immigrated to the United States and established a training school for officers. He fought in the U.S. Civil War and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. In 1865, President Lincoln rewarded di Cesnola by appointing him consul of the United States at Cyprus. There, he undertook prolonged archeological digs. Di Cesnola returned to the United States and became the first director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where he remained for 25 years. In 1873, the museum was expanded for the first time, in order to accommodate di Cesnola's collection of antiquities -- the most valuable private collection existing in the world at that time. Much of this collection may still be viewed at the Museum. |
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