Weighing about a ton, the statue was initially erected in Richmond, Virginia, in 1925 by the Italian American community. The Italian American Cultural Association of Virginia (IACAVA) fought to take custody of the statue from Richmond officials after the far-left protesters toppled it during the BLM riot four years ago. It remained submerged in Richmond's Fountain Lake for two years until the IACAVA won a legal battle to salvage it.
However, the move to resurrect the Italian navigator's statue isn't without controversy.
"Columbus never discovered America," said Cliff Mathias, cultural director of the Red Hawk Native American Arts Council. "He never set foot in the mainland of what we call today the United States, the Americas."
According to historians, the navigator first made landfall in the Bahamas and set foot along the Caribbean – but is not believed to have ever landed on the coast of what is now North America.
But it doesn't justify what the BLM rioters did to the statue.
Columbus statue: A symbol of discovery, adventure, perseverance and the spirit of Italian culture
The statue was stored in a farmhouse nearby until the Rockland Lodge of the Sons of Italy organization in Blauvelt reached out to the IACAVA. Now, the statue now stands outside the Rockland Lodge of the Blauvelt Sons of Italy.
Lodge President Michael Pizzi described the statue as a symbol of discovery, adventure, perseverance and the spirit of Italian culture. "The statue represents Italian heritage and culture and everything that we're proud of," said Pizzi.
The rededication ceremony was attended by over 100 people and features a plaque describing the statue's history.
"This Statue, gifted by the Italian immigrant community of Richmond, VA to the City of Richmond in 1927, stood as a testament to exploration and resilience for nearly 100 years. Sadly, it was defaced and toppled during the 2020 riots. In 2023, the Italian American Cultural Association of VA restored it. Efforts to keep the Statue in Richmond were undermined by the fear of violence against its guardians," reads the plaque.
"We are grateful to the Sons of Italy Rockland Lodge 2176 for offering this symbol a new home. May the Stateu of Chirstopher Columbus inspire us to embrace the spirit of discovery and foster a community that learns from history and champions tolerance."
During the rededication ceremony, the statue was blessed by Father Joseph Pavone of the Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Pavone praised Columbus as a "brave, courageous figure" who "in many ways is responsible for bringing our faith to the New World." (Related: Black Lives Matter now actively targeting Christian statues and churches.)
Fellow Order member Paul Borghese told News12 that the move was meant to pay tribute to history. "As Italian-Americans, we're all very proud of Christopher Columbus, and we're here to preserve the history of Christopher Columbus finding and discovering America," Borghese said.
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