Florida State University has installed three new bronze statues in its Student Union, titled “Vires, Artes, Mores.” The sculptures represent the university’s core values of strength, skill, and character. They were cast from molds originally used for similar statues at the FSU Florence Study Center in Italy.
The figures stand over eight feet tall on custom pedestals made by the FSU Master Craftsman Studio. Their Renaissance-inspired design is nearly identical to those in Florence and aims to symbolize discovery, resilience, and global connection.
“The commitment that we have at Florida State University to our international programs is profound,” said FSU President Richard McCullough. “These figures will be a lasting reminder of everything that we stand for and our enduring connection to the world. These statues are powerful reminders of what makes us Florida State University—strength, skill, and character.”
The original statues were created for the Florence Study Center in 2021 by Alan Pascuzzi, a sculptor based in Florence who also teaches art history at FSU Florence. Pascuzzi collaborated with then-director Frank Nero to design figures inspired by Botticelli’s Primavera and the concept of the Three Graces.
“The first statues in Florence were an idea that grew from a friendship,” Pascuzzi said. “We came up with the idea of a work of art that tied Renaissance art with Florida State University virtues.”
Pascuzzi is originally from Webster, New York. He earned his doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis before receiving a Fulbright scholarship to study in Florence. His artwork appears across Italy, including the Vatican, as well as other locations worldwide.
FSU’s presence in Florence dates back to 1966 when it opened its study center there. Soon after welcoming its first students, FSU faced the Great Flood of Florence; students and faculty assisted local recovery efforts and became known as “Mud Angels.”
“It’s a surreal experience,” said Charlie Panarella, director of FSU Florence. “I’m so used to seeing the statues every day at our study center, and to see them here cements the link between Florence and Florida State. I think it will inspire other students here at Florida State to study abroad, which is something that truly changes people’s lives.”
Currently, more than 600 students attend courses annually at FSU Florence’s restored 16th-century palace near historic landmarks.
“You can see it on students’ faces when you’re walking through the study center,” said Peter Collins, chairman of FSU’s Board of Trustees. “Even though you’re thousands of miles away, it still feels like Florida State.”
While both sets of statues honor strength, skill, and character through their iconography and inscriptions tailored for each location—Florence features a lily symbolizing its city while Tallahassee uses an orange blossom representing Florida—the intention remains consistent: connecting tradition with place.
The new statues are located on the southwest side of the Student Union’s first floor.
