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South West grounds of State Capitol Building

Bust of Christopher Columbus

Enrico Vittori
1920

Description

Bronze bust of Columbus. He has long hair and wears period costume. The bust stand atop a granite pedestal. The face and sides of the pedestal have bronze bas-relief scenes. On the front is a figure grouping depicting Indians kneeling in front of a man wearing a crown of laurels. The relief on the proper right side of the pedestal depicts the figure of a woman sitting with an anchor. The relief on the proper left side of the pedestal depicts the figure of a seated woman leaning on a globe with her proper right elbow. The pedestal slopes outward and rests on a two-stepped granite base.

Inscription(s)

erected a.d. 1920
by the italians
of indianapolis kokomo
logansport richmond
etc.

New plaque:

the columbus quincentenary jubilee
commission of indiana inc., in behalf
of indiana's italian - american
community dedicates this plaque to
the celebration of the

500th anniversary of the
columbus discovery of america

may the genius abiding in the
italian race encourage tolerance
and acceptance of all cultures as
america's ultimate contribution to
humanity.

Signed: E. VITTORI

Annotation

Funded by Italian immigrants in Indiana.

The origimal inscription on the pedestal linked the old country to the new: "Christopher Columbus, born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451, discovered America Oct. 12, 1492. This land of opportunity was thus donated to humanity by the perennial genius abiding in the Italian race."

Thirty-five years later, in 1955, the Indianapolis Knights of Columbus supervised the renovation of the monument to their patron. The bust was cleaned and new bronze tablets with a slightly altered inscription were placed on the base.

On 12 October 1992, Italian-Americans and Knights of Columbus gathered on State House grounds to honor the Discoverer on the Quincentenary of his first voyage. On this occasion another plaque was placed on the pedestal: "May the genius abiding in the Italian race inspire tolerance and acceptance as America's ultimate contribution to humanity."

Sculptor

Enrico Vittori

Sources & Information

About.com, Indianapolis Statues Photo Gallery (About Indianapolis Photo/Dan Hook)
Italian Heritage Society of Indiana
The Columbus Bust
Tributes to Christopher Columbus in the United States.
Smithsonian American Art Museum, SIRIS (Smithsonian Institution Research Information system).

Locatie (N 39°46'4" - W 86°9'47") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: usin03; Added: 11 August 2003 / Updated: 5 September 2009

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