Columbus Circle Monuments
There are two monuments which stand in Columbus Circle: the Monument to Christopher Columbus and the Maine monument.
The Christopher Columbus Monument was unveiled in 1892 celebrating the 400th anniversary of the voyage and discovery of America. The monument was designed by Gaetano Russo in a Beaux-Arts style. It is a 70-foot granite column with bronze reliefs on the north and three ships on the south. A statue of Columbus stands atop the tall slender column. At the base there is a globe relating to his global exploration.
The north relief depicts Columbus’s first landing while the south side depicts the three ships at anchor as Columbus takes a longboat ashore. The three ships in the column are the famous ships in his voyage; the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. On the East and West sides there are descriptions which read:
cristoforo colombo
gli italiani residenti in america
irriso prima
minacciato durante il viaggio
incatenato dopo
sapendo esser generoso quanto oppresso
donava un mondo al mondo.
gli italiani residenti in america
irriso prima
minacciato durante il viaggio
incatenato dopo
sapendo esser generoso quanto oppresso
donava un mondo al mondo.
la gioia e la gloria
non ebbero mai piu solenne guido
di quello che risuono in vista
della prima isola americana
terra! terra!
non ebbero mai piu solenne guido
di quello che risuono in vista
della prima isola americana
terra! terra!
nel 12 ottobre 1892
quarto centenario
della scoperta d'america
a imperitura memoria
quarto centenario
della scoperta d'america
a imperitura memoria
to
christopher columbus
the italians resident in america,
scoffed at before,
during the voyage, menaced,
after it, chained,
as generous as oppressed,
to the world, he gave a world.
joy and glory
never uttered a more thrilling call
than that which resounded
from the conquered ocean
in sight of the first american island
land! land!
never uttered a more thrilling call
than that which resounded
from the conquered ocean
in sight of the first american island
land! land!
on the xii of october mdcccxcii
the fourth centenary
of the discovery of america
in imperishable remembrance
the fourth centenary
of the discovery of america
in imperishable remembrance
The second monument stands near Merchants' Gate, the entrance to Central Park opposite Time Warner Center.
The Maine Monument commemorates the sailors who perished in the battleship Maine which exploded in the harbor of Havana, Cuba in 1898. It was designed in a Beaux-Art style by sculptor Atillio Piccirilli and architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle in 1901. The monument is a 44 foot tall lime stone pylon and is crowned by a bronze sculpture of Columbia Triumphant in a seashell chariot pulled by three sea horses. The base is shaped like a ship’s prow flanked by statues representing Justice, Peace, Victory, Courage and Fortitude. The inscription reads “Remember the Maine” which was revealed to be a mistake.
Bibliography
AVeiwonCities.com. (2011). Columbus Circle. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from AVeiwonCities.com: http://www.aviewoncities.com/nyc/columbuscircle.htm
Krogt, R. &. (2000, January 1). COLUMBUS MONUMENTS PAGES. Retrieved May 26, 2011, from vanderkrogt.net: http://www.vanderkrogt.net/statues/object.php?webpage=CO&record=usny28
Unknown. (2010). Columbus Circle (New York). Retrieved May 26, 2011, from Academic dictionaries and encyclopedias: http://de.academic.ru/pictures/dewiki/67/Columbus_Circle_-_Statue.JPG
Unknown. (2000). Maine Monument. Retrieved May 26, 2011, from nyc-architecture.com: http://www.nyc-architecture.com/CP/cp020.htm
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