Columbus Circle

Columbus Circle is a traffic circle and heavily trafficked intersection in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The circle is named after the monument of Christopher Columbus in the center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 76-foot (23 m) Columbus Column monument at the center of the circle, created by Italian sculptor Gaetano Russo, consists of a 14-foot (4.3 m) marble statue of Columbus atop a 27.5-foot (8.4 m) granite rostral column on a four-stepped granite pedestal. The column is decorated with bronze reliefs representing Columbus’ ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María, although actually they are Roman galleys instead of caravels. Its pedestal features an angel holding a globe.