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News of Alumni: Michael Bratti '84
Michael Bratti ’84 is the owner of R. Bratti Associates, a fourth-generation stone contractor based in Alexandria. As part of the restoration of St. Aloysius Church, Michael recently finished restoring the set of yellow marble stairs that leads to the altar. Gonzaga is incredibly grateful to Michael for volunteering his time and talent to this unique and important project.
Michael, who helped with the St. Al’s restoration in the 1990s, says that he was down at Gonzaga over a year ago with his son, Peter, who is a current junior, and noticed that some of the stair treads were coming apart. He called Father Planning and offered to repair them, who was very grateful to have his help.
“The stairs in the lower sanctuary are made of an Italian marble from Tuscany called Giallo Siena,” said Michael. “It’s a famous church marble that has been used for centuries in Europe, but is very hard to find now. I made a few calls to some of our friends and colleagues in Italy and sent pictures of what we were trying to match. I told them, ‘Anything you have, we’ll take.’ It took us more than a year to find matching materials. The pieces they sent were small and awkwardly shaped, but we pieced the stones together and wove them together until they fit. Father Planning was incredibly helpful in giving us the liberty to make it work, even though it couldn’t be perfect.”
In addition to work in the church, Michael and his company have helped Gonzaga with many projects in the past, including the granite benches, wall, and “G” along Eye Street. R. Bratti Associates, which was started by his great-great-grandfather, has worked on thousands of projects around the United States and Washington, D.C., including the Kennedy Center, the National Air and Space Museum, and the repair work to the Pentagon after September 11.
“Gonzaga is a big part of my life,” Michael says. “I owe a lot to the school. Gonzaga made me a successful man, and it's my responsibility to give back.”
"This is just one example of Mr. Bratti's generosity toward Gonzaga through the years," says Father Planning. "He has always offered his services to his Alma Mater, helping us to preserve and protect Gonzaga's historic treasures. We are very grateful for his willingness to always give back to Gonzaga."
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Michael, who helped with the St. Al’s restoration in the 1990s, says that he was down at Gonzaga over a year ago with his son, Peter, who is a current junior, and noticed that some of the stair treads were coming apart. He called Father Planning and offered to repair them, who was very grateful to have his help.
“The stairs in the lower sanctuary are made of an Italian marble from Tuscany called Giallo Siena,” said Michael. “It’s a famous church marble that has been used for centuries in Europe, but is very hard to find now. I made a few calls to some of our friends and colleagues in Italy and sent pictures of what we were trying to match. I told them, ‘Anything you have, we’ll take.’ It took us more than a year to find matching materials. The pieces they sent were small and awkwardly shaped, but we pieced the stones together and wove them together until they fit. Father Planning was incredibly helpful in giving us the liberty to make it work, even though it couldn’t be perfect.”
In addition to work in the church, Michael and his company have helped Gonzaga with many projects in the past, including the granite benches, wall, and “G” along Eye Street. R. Bratti Associates, which was started by his great-great-grandfather, has worked on thousands of projects around the United States and Washington, D.C., including the Kennedy Center, the National Air and Space Museum, and the repair work to the Pentagon after September 11.
“Gonzaga is a big part of my life,” Michael says. “I owe a lot to the school. Gonzaga made me a successful man, and it's my responsibility to give back.”
"This is just one example of Mr. Bratti's generosity toward Gonzaga through the years," says Father Planning. "He has always offered his services to his Alma Mater, helping us to preserve and protect Gonzaga's historic treasures. We are very grateful for his willingness to always give back to Gonzaga."
Celebrating 200 Years of Jesuit Education in the Nation's Capital
