Almost from its inception, downtown Syracuse’s Christopher Columbus monument has been surrounded by controversy. Its dedication at St. Mary’s Circle, now Columbus Circle, on Oct. 12, 1934 was the culmination of a 25-year campaign that spanned a world war, a depression, a lawsuit and disagreements over its location.

The idea began as early as 1909 when a group of Italian immigrants wanted to honor their favorite native son with a statue in their new home city. According to newspaper accounts, two Italian residents, Prof. Torquato DeFelice, a widely known painter and sculptor, and Dr. Seraphino Chiarulli, were generally credited with launching the project.