Statue of Christopher Columbus, Bronze statue in Columbus Park, Buffalo, United States
The statue was a bronze sculpture created in 1952 by Italian sculptor Giovanni Polizzi, depicting a figure in Renaissance-era clothing with period navigation instruments. It was placed in Columbus Park as a monument commissioned by the Federation of Italian-American Societies of Western New York.
The monument was created in the post-war period as a commission by the Italian-American community to honor European heritage. It was removed in July 2020 following vandalism incidents and community requests for relocation.
The statue represented both the achievements of early European exploration and the complex discussions about colonialism in American history.
The sculpture is no longer at its original location in Columbus Park, as it was removed in 2020. Officials have plans to relocate it to an indoor space for display.
The Federation plans to display the statue in an indoor space while replacing it with a monument celebrating Italian immigrant contributions.
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