Springfield Italian-American War Memorial - Springfield, MA - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

At the center of the Springfield Italian-American War Memorial is a 5.5' statue of Christopher Columbus standing on a 4.5' base. The statue is flanked by two matching tablets containing the names of Italian-American residents of Greater Springfield who served the United States in wartime. The monument is in the center of a newly refurbished and landscaped traffic island in the South End of Springfield, historically the Italian-American area of Springfield. The statue was erected on October 12, 1963, Columbus Day, and rededicated in 1986 on the 350th anniversary of the founding of Springfield.

A granite statue of Christopher Columbus is wearing a tunic, a medallion around his neck, and a fur lined coat is standing on an ornate pedestal. He is holding a scroll in his lowered left hand and a sextant in his right hand which is at waist level. He is standing in front of a capstan on a base inscribed with his name:

CHRISTOFORO COLUMBO

The base has an ornate frieze depicting a central flower followed by leaves and berries. On the front, below the frieze, is the insignia of the U.S. Italian-American War Veterans and the inscription:

US ITALIAN AMERICAN WAR VETERANS
DEDICATED OCT.12, 1963
BY
JOSEPH C. CICCARELLI
POST 59
AND
UNITED ITALIAN AMERICAN
SOCIETIES AND CLUBS
OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

On a tablet below the memorial is the inscription:

1636 {Image of the Springfield Municipal Group} 1986
THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD IS PROUD
AND HONORED TO REDEDICATE THE STATUE
OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, A TRUE SYMBOL
OF THE PRIDE AND DEDICATION OF SPRINGFIELD'S
ITALIAN-AMERICANS PAST AND PRESENT
DURING THIS 350TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR
GREAT CITY
RICHARD E. NEAL
MAYOR

The left tablet contains a three column list of 42 names. The right tablet contains a three column list of 36 names.

TITLE: Springfield Italian-American War Memorial ARTIST(S): unknown DATE: October 12, 1963 MEDIUM: granite CONTROL NUMBER: IAS MA000897 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Main and Locust Streets Springfield, MA DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: Inscription is CRISTOFORO COLUMBO not CRISTOFORO COLUMBUS. He is holding a scroll in his left hand and a sextant in his right - not a compass. Memorial honors those who served not necessarily died in World War II.

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