columbus city hall, 1928
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Where did the statue of Christopher Columbus come from? Who made it?

• The statue was made in Italy and was a gift to the people of Columbus in the 1950s from the people of Genoa, Italy. Columbus also made a gift to Genoa, Italy—three large sculptures that represented Columbus’s ships—the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.  The base of the sculpture is made of concrete and the sand to make the concrete was taken from the beach of San Salvador where Columbus first landed in 1492. The artist for the Columbus statue was known often for his more abstract sculpture in which he did not always chose to show people realistically.  Perhaps that is why Columbus is shown with large hands and feet.  It is estimated that if the statue were the height of a person, he would be wearing size 22 shoes.
  

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