Statue of Christopher Columbus (Wilmington, Delaware)

A statue of Christopher Columbus was installed in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. It was produced by the sculptor Egidio Giaroli in Rome, and was cast and molded in the Italian city of Pistoia. The statue was unveiled on October 12, 1957, and was removed in June 2020.[1]

Statue of Christopher Columbus
Artist	Egidio Giaroli
Medium	Bronze sculpture granite (base)
Subject	Christopher Columbus
Dimensions	3.7 m (12 ft)
Location	Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Coordinates	39°45′12″N 75°33′31″W

Description

The statue is made of bronze and weighs 1,600 pounds and is twelve feet high with a granite base.[1]

History

The statue was created as a project through the city of Wilmington and was endorsed by the Sons of Italy, and the Knights of Columbus, with about $40,000 raised through donations. The committee to create the statue was led by Reverend Roberto Balducelli, a pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.[1]

It was removed from public display on June 12, 2020, along with the equestrian statue of Caesar Rodney in Wilmington, during the protests that followed the death of George Floyd. Both statues were quickly removed after a statue honoring law enforcement had been vandalized and destroyed with urine-soaked Delaware state flags nearby.[2]

See also

• List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests
• List of monuments and memorials to Christopher Columbus
• Equestrian statue of Caesar Rodney, also removed in June 2020

References

1. Porter, Jeanne Kuang, Marina Affo, Patricia Talorico and Ira. "Wilmington removes Caesar Rodney, Christopher Columbus statues Friday amid calls for change". The News Journal. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
2. Barrish, Cris (June 12, 2020). "Wilmington removing, at least for now, Columbus and Caesar Rodney statues". WHYY. Retrieved 2020-06-13.