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Via Gramsci 9

Statua di Cristoforo Colombo in Via Gramsci

Statue of Columbus in the Via Gramsci

Giambattista Cevasco
1850c

Genova / Statua di Cristoforo Colombo in Via Gramsci

Description

In the front façade of the palace on the Via Gramsci 9 (formerly Via Carlo Alberto) are two niches with statues, the one to the left is the great statesman and chief admiral of the Republic of Genova: Andrea Doria. The one on the right is Christopher Columbus.
Above Columbus there is a frieze with a bas-relief, showing the meeting of Columbus with the natives in America.

On this photo of the 1960s the two niches with statues are clear. Note the "Colombo Bar".

Inscription(s)

Columbus:

dissi, volli, il creai -
- ecco un secondo
sorger nuovo dall' onde
ignoto mondo.

Doria:

tu m'offri un trono -
- io a libertá ti rendo.
da te, mia patria -
ad esser grande apprendo

Annotation

Both statues were described by Nestor Ponce de Léon:

At No. 19 Via Carlo Alberto, near the Piazza Darsena, Genoa, Italy, a small statue of Columbus stands in a niche, with the following inscription:
"dissi, volli, credi, ecco un secondo
sorger nuovo, dall' onde ignoto mondo."
The statue, is old and the artist's name unknown, but I have read that the artistic treatment is good, although it has no historic value.

The sculptor is Giambattista Cevasco, who lived 1817-1891. Since Ponce de Léon described the statue in 1892 as "old" I supposed it was sculpted around 1850.
In 2006, the palace was restored, Mario Luciano Radici took the photos after restauration.

Sculptor

Giambattista Cevasco

Sources & Information

Mario Luciano Radici, e-mail and photos, May & December 2006.
Chi era costui

Locatie (N 44°24'47" - E 8°55'35") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: itli028; Added: 1 December 2006

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