Statue of Christopher Columbus, Wilmington

The statue of Christopher Columbus once stood prominently at the north end of Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilmington’s Christopher Columbus Square. Cast in bronze and weighing 1,600 pounds, the twelve-foot-tall figure was sculpted by Egidio Giaroli in Rome and molded in Pistoia, Italy.

Depicted in traditional 15th-century attire and holding a crucifix, Columbus was portrayed mid-stride, evoking a sense of movement and spiritual mission. The work was completed as a joint effort between the City of Wilmington, the Sons of Italy, and the Knights of Columbus, with approximately $40,000 raised through community donations. Reverend Roberto Balducelli of Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church led the committee behind the initiative, culminating in the statue’s unveiling on October 12, 1957.

On June 12, 2020, the statue was removed amid nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd. Its removal-along with that of the Caesar Rodney statue nearby-came after a memorial honoring law enforcement was defaced, intensifying public tensions. Though the statue’s absence sparked political debate and controversy, its future remains unresolved. Today, the pedestal stands empty, marking a broader reconsideration of public monuments and the historical figures they commemorate.