Renaissance masterpieces at the cemetery

GLENDALE, Calif. -- You don't have to travel to Italy to take in masterpieces by Leonardo Da Vinci or Michelangelo. At Forest Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, you'll find full-size replicas of works by Italian masters of the Renaissance period.

"We began collecting works related to the Renaissance centuries ago," said James Fishburne Ph.D., Director of the Forest Lawn Museum. "We originally did it because travel to Europe was extremely difficult. Now, our collection has become a destination on its own."

At Forest Lawn Glendale, you can recreate at trip across Italy in a single afternoon. The cemetery boasts well-known works from Florence, Rome, and Milan.

"We have a full-scale replica of Michelangelo's Moses," said Fishburne. "We also have the Pieta. The original sculpture is in the Vatican in Rome."

The memorial park also has a stained-glass replica of Da Vinci's Last Supper and a bronze replica of Michelangelo's David, which live in Florence, Italy.

"It's a free family activity," said Fishburne. "And you're able to get up close and personal with the works in way that you often can't get in a museum or a church in Italy."

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