This book is mainly about Franco Vallario’s life and that of his family, including his father. At times, it also deals with all of those places and spaces that touched Franco’s life while developing into a great carver. In addition, it refers to those circumstances whereby young Italian men and other migrants, who often led difficult and hard lives back in Italy, were given the chance to thrive in a country at the other end of the globe through what was then known as the assisted migration program and where many of those men faced other difficulties before achieving success. Further, it focuses partly on the quality and nature of stone and marble in its many forms that Franco used in his carvings and the edifices and structures that he utilized to display the full range of his creative powers in Australia for the benefit of the community at large.
