Springfield Italian-American War Memorial - Springfield, MA
Posted by: neoc1
N 42° 05.486 W 072° 34.778
18T E 700167 N 4662762
The Springfield Italian-American War Memorial is located on Main and Locust Streets in the South End neighborhood of Springfield.
Waymark Code: WMD4D4
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 11/17/2011
Views: 3
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.