Civic Center Mall
between Hill and Broadway,
First and Temple Streets
Click for larger photos
This slightly smaller-than-life bronze statue of Christopher Columbus was presented to the County of Los Angeles in 1973 by the southern California Lodges of the Order of Sons of Italy in America. The gift to the County was made “to honor and perpetuate the memory of the discoverer of America.”
Columbus is depicted in period costume, emphasizing his legacy as an explorer and navigator. He appears as if making a declaration, with his left hand raised to his chest, and clutching a scroll in his right. On certain holidays such as Columbus Day, it is not uncommon to see the statue decorated in a celebratory manner.
About the Artist: Francesco Perotti (1907-1955), of Piacenza, Italy, was a well-known artist in his native country. In 1950 he was included in a religious art exhibition at the Vatican and after his death in 1955 the prize for best religious work in the Venice Biennale was named in his honor. Examples of his work are held in the permanent collection at the Achille Forti Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Verona, Italy.