Roger Morigi

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Roger Morigi (October 4, 1907 – January 12, 1995) was an Italian-born American stone carver who helped shape several major buildings in Washington, D.C. He taught and mentored Frederick Hart, one of the leading American sculptors of his time.

Early life
Morigi was born in Bisuschio, Lombardy, the son of Napoleone and Josephine Ronchetti Morigi. He began learning carving from his father at age 11 and studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. He moved to the United States in 1927, working with his father on projects in New Haven and beyond. He was hired as a carver by the John Donnelly Company and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1932 to work on the U.S. Supreme Court Building. There he carved eight marble relief panels on the bases of the twin lampstands that flank the Supreme Court plaza and did interior carving as well, including work on Adolph A. Weinman’s Moses relief.

Career highlights
Supreme Court and federal buildings
Morigi contributed to several notable works in Washington, including marble reliefs for the Supreme Court Building and carved elements for other federal buildings. At the Department of Justice Building, he worked on C. Paul Jennewein’s architrave Lege Atque Omnia Fiunt and on the “Four Elements” (Air, Earth, Water, Fire) in limestone. He also helped carve the “Trylon of Freedom,” a tall freestanding column representing the three branches of the federal government, and contributed to Jennewein’s “The Four Freedoms” figures.

Washington National Cathedral
Morigi began carving at the National Cathedral in 1950 and was named master carver in 1956, a role he held for 22 years. He was known as a demanding, perfectionist mentor who helped shape a generation of sculptors, including his apprentice Frederick Hart, who later created the West Portal tympanum Ex Nihilo. Morigi’s Cathedral projects included:
- Adam, a trumeau figure (1974–1978) for the main doors, carved after Hart’s design.
- The Last Supper tympanum and The Road to Emmaus frieze on the South Portal, carved in situ with Heinz Warneke’s designs.
- Saint Alban (trumeau) and other figures in the South Portal, often carved in limestone with collaborators.
- The Nature of Christ archivolt (44 angels) surrounding the tympanum, which Morigi helped design and carve with Frank Zic.
- Saints of All Nations series (multiple saints carved in limestone), many by Morigi or with his carvers.
- The Good Shepherd altarpiece (1957) and Christ in Majesty on the High Altar (carved in limestone, with Walker Hancock).

Personal life and legacy
Morigi lived in Hyattsville, Maryland, with his wife Louise and their children, Francis and Elayne. He enjoyed golf and is remembered for his fiery temper, which was humorously captured in a gargoyle by John Guarente at the Cathedral—a figure of Morigi with a mushroom cloud bursting from his head. Morigi died in 1995 of emphysema.

Legacy and recognition
His life and work were documented in The Stone Carvers: Master Craftsmen of Washington National Cathedral (1984), a film by Paul Wagner that won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject in 1985. Marjorie Hunt later adapted the research into a 1999 book. Senator Strom Thurmond eulogized Morigi in the U.S. Senate in January 1995, praising his craftsmanship and his contributions to American public architecture.

Selected works (highlights)
- U.S. Supreme Court Building: Lampstands (two marble lampstands with eight relief panels carved by Morigi) and related interior work, including the Moses relief.
- Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building: Lege Atque Omnia Fiunt architrave (carved for the doorway), The Four Elements (Air, Earth, Water, Fire), and Trylon of Freedom; The Four Freedoms figures.
- Washington National Cathedral: The Last Supper tympanum and Road to Emmaus frieze (with Warneke); Adam (trumeau) for the West Portal; Saints of All Nations series; Nature of Christ archivolt angels; Good Shepherd Altarpiece; Christ in Majesty (High Altar) and other cathedral works.
- E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse (district courthouse): Trylon of Freedom (entrance column) and related reliefs.
These works helped establish Morigi as one of the leading American stone carvers of the 20th century and left a lasting mark on Washington’s iconic civic and religious architecture.