Statue of Christopher Columbus (Wilmington, Delaware)
A statue of Christopher Columbus was installed in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. The sculptor was Egidio Gioroli in Rome, Italy with casting and molding done in Pistoia, Italy. The statue was unveiled on October 12, 1957, and was removed in June 2020.Description
The statue is made of bronze and weighs 1,600 pounds and is twelve feet high with a granite base.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.
It was removed from public display on June 12, 2020, along with the equestrian statue of Caesar Rodney in Wilmington, Delaware during the protests of 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.
