Situated in the center of Columbus Circle
at the southwest perimeter of Central Park is a
magnificent towering marble statue ofChristopher Columbus from which it has adopted
its name.
It is at this very prominant spot that the Italien
mariner has been awardedhere with the distinction
of being the first European to have crossed the
Atlantic ocean.
Three ships depicted on the
column that carries him aloft represent the
Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, the
ships he commanded into the unknown in 1492.
At its base is a fountain with an angel holding a
globe. Four hundred years after his initial
journey, this statue of Columbus was unveiled
and presented by Italy to the United States to
commemorate his voyage.
Columbus Circle is the point where Broadway
and Eigth Avenue intersect with Central Park
West and Central Park South to form an ever growing cultural focal point not far from
Lincoln Center.
