In 1910 Syracuse University Professor Torquato DeFelice visited Florence. Upon his arrival in Florence, Prof. DeFelice met with artist V. Renzo Baldi to discuss creating a monument of the famous Italian mariner, Christopher Columbus, in Syracuse New York.
October 11, 1927 the leaders of the Columbus Monument Association applied for their incorporation. The group received approval in February 1928, and immediately began formulating a plan to create and erect the monument.
The monument and statue would be a symbol of “achievement” that would “inculcate into the hearts of posterity, a desire to emulate the great achievements of man”. In an era when Italian-Americans we’re regularly labeled as seditious, subversive, dangerous, and un-American, it was important to these men – all prominent members of Syracuse’s Italian community – to provide their city with a symbol of ethnic pride.
Eighty six years later, the Columbus Monument is still celebrated annually by Syracuse’s Italian Americans as a reminder of how early immigrants arrived in Syracuse, integrated into the fabric of the community, and overcame prejudice. It stands as a place of peace, thought, and enjoyment for the entire community.
Why it is important
ART
Syracuse’s Columbus Monument – from the statue to the pedestal – is a formable work of art, concieved as a community effort and interpreted by renouned artists V. Renzo Baldi (Florence) and Dwight James Baum (Syracuse).
HISTORY
The effort to build the monument spanned 24 years, involving thousands of Syracuse citizens, the Onondaga Nation, Syracuse University, two Mayors, and Stickley’s Dr. Irene Sargent, an authority on fine art.
HERITAGE
The combined effort to build Syracuse’s monument of Columbus, built by the hands of his own countrymen, became a living testimonial to the spirit of all people who work for the progress of humanity.
Want to help?
Click here to send a personal message to Mayor Walsh, telling him not to violate this important piece of public art.
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