Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg (Emden of Magdeburg, 1661- Verona, 1747) was a German general officer, who served the Republic of Venice, defending the Island of Corfu from the Turks’ assault (1716). He was also a collector and the patron of several Venetian artists.
The statue was made by an unknown artist in the 18th century: the German soldier is standing, depicted in an imposing attitude and his military clothing dates back to the ancient Rome, in contrast with his 18th century wig.
The architect Raffaele Bonente is responsible for the slab and the general arrangement of the monument, which was inaugurated in 2003. It also celebrates his descendant Werner von der Schulenburg (1881-1958), who wrote a biography on his own ancestor.
While the modern slab is in very good conditions, many sections of this 18th century monument are badly damaged, especially the two telamons and the general’s face. The statue has a good heritage promotion, but it hasn’t got any artificial lighting.
Source: guidebook "Le statue di Verona", project supervised by Luca Leone, published in August 2015 with the support of the town council of Verona.
