Bust of Christopher Columbus, Bronze sculpture near Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, United States.
This bronze bust of Christopher Columbus sits on a marble pedestal decorated with two ship prows, located at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Randolph Street. The sculpture presents the explorer's face and rests on an ornately designed base that also carries written information about him.
Italian sculptor Augusto Rivalta created this monument in 1910 to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus's death. The work arose during a period when Detroit had a growing Italian population eager to honor this historical connection.
The monument was funded through donations from readers of La Tribuna Italiana d'America newspaper, showing the importance of Detroit's Italian community at that time. The inscription on the base identifies him as a great son of Italy, making this connection visible to visitors today.
The sculpture sits at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Randolph Street, near the entrance to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and is easy to spot from the street. The site is freely accessible and can be visited anytime during daylight hours without advance planning.
The monument carries an inscription specifying his birth year as 1435 and death in 1506, giving his life a precise timeline. These specific dates are engraved on the marble base, making the memorial more than just a visual representation.
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