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Palazzo Rosso ☒

Monumento a Colombo nel Palazzo Rosso

Columbus Monument in the Palazzo Rosso

Description

Columbus standing on the deck of the Santa Maria. behind a priest bearing a cross. The pedestal is ornamented by prows of caravels, and on each side are emblematic figures representing Discovery and Industry.

Inscription(s)

a
cristoforo colombo
genovese
antonio brignole sale
questa opera dedicava
l'anno del signore
mdcccli

(note: Sale was a branch of the Family Brignole)

Annotation

The present location of the statue mentioned by Néstor Ponce de León was a mystery, until Mario Luciano Radici found in July 2006 information on the actual situation. He came in contact with Dr. Piero Boccardo, director of all the museums of Strada Nuova where is Palazzo Rosso, gave me the following information:

The Palazzo Rosso was built in the period 1671-1677 for account of the Family Brignole that remained owner till the transfer to the municipality of Genova. It was turned into a museum and in the period 1953-1960 was completely restored. The Columbus Monument is a little group that, until it was in the hall of Palazzo Rosso, was on a console as you can see in the old photo. The total height (statue and pedestal) is about 80 cm. The group is in bronze and the pedestal in marble. The sculptor is Bernardo Nicolò Raggi born in Carrara in 1789 and died in Paris in 1862.
At the moment of the restoration the monument was not considered of artistic value and it was moved to the storage part of Palazzo Rosso. It was taken in two pieces and it is impossible to see it.

As regard the origin of the monument it is said that about 1840 Antonio Brignole, who at that time was Ambassador in Paris knew the sculptor Raggi and promised him his good offices to involve him in the activity for the monument of Piazza Acquaverde.
After things become differently and the Ambassador thougt of indemnify the sculptor by ordering the monument for his palace.

Sculptor

Bernardo Nicolò Raggi

Sources & Information

Néstor Ponce de León, The Columbus Gallery (New York, 1893), pp. 80-81.
J.M. Dickey, Christopher Columbus and his Monument Columbia (1892), pp. 280-281.
Mario Luciano Radici, e-mail 2 July 2006.
Photo: Archivio Fotografico dei musei genovesi.

Locatie (N 44°24'40" - E 8°55'55") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: itli023; Added: 2 July 2006

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