The Capitoline Wolf statue in Cincinnati

The Capitoline Wolf Statue is a sculpture of a she-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The bronze sculpture on a granite and marble base is located in Eden Park at the Twin Lakes area overlooking the Ohio River. It is a replica of the original Capitoline Wolf in the Musei Capitolini of Rome, Italy.[1]

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini sent a small version of the statue for a 1929 Sons of Italy national convention in Cincinnati. It was replaced by a larger one in 1931.[1][2] The sculpture was meant to honor Cincinnatus, the namesake of Cincinnati. It was inscribed with the Latin Anno X (year ten), indicating 1931, the tenth year of Mussolini's regime.[3]

On January 6, 2020, Cincinnati City Council member Chris Seelbach tweeted that he wanted the statue to be removed. Seelbach stated "Statues from the monster that was Benito Mussolini don’t belong in our parks. Museums? Maybe. But not Cincinnati Parks. I’m drafting legislation tomorrow to have the statue permanently removed".[4] Shortly afterwards, Seelbach indefinitely delayed his plans to have the statue removed, saying "There’s been a lot of feedback about removing the statue from Eden Park. Instead of introducing legislation today to remove it, I’ll continue to listen and have conversations with all interested parties before making any formal decisions on its potential future".[5]

The wolf portion of the statue was reported stolen on June 17, 2022.[6] Cut off at the ankles, the statues of Romulus and Remus were left.[7] According to Councilman Jeff Cramerding, the Cincinnati Police believed that the statue was stolen so that it could be used as scrap. He also announced that he would file a motion to offer $50,000 "for information that leads to the safe return of the wolf".[8]

A replacement statue was produced near Florence, Italy. It was created using the same mold as the original statue while using the original statue's paws.[9] The replacement was funded by the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy, who raised $60,000 for the project.[10] The new she-wolf statue is scheduled to be unveiled on November 3, 2023.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 "Capitoline Wolf". Queen City Tour Blog. August 11, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  2. ↑ Federal Writers' Project (1943). Cincinnati, a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors. Best Books on. p. 280. ISBN 9781623760519. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Eden Park". Cincinnati Park Board. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  4. ↑ Coolidge, Sharon (January 6, 2020). "Mussolini gave Cincinnati a statue. Councilman Chris Seelbach wants it out of Eden Park". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Council member pulls back on proposal to remove wolf statue from Eden Park". Fox19. January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Capitoline Wolf statue, gifted to Cincinnati by Rome, stolen from Eden Park". WLWT. June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  7. ↑ Knight, Cameron (June 17, 2022). "Eden Park wolf statue, gifted to city by Mussolini and Rome, stolen". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  8. ↑ Jordan, Felicia (June 17, 2022). "Cincinnati leaders to offer reward after Capitoline Wolf stolen from Eden Park". WCPO. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  9. ↑ Jones, Luke (August 24, 2023). "Stolen Eden Park statue replacement arrives in Cincinnati". Local12. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ Mongillo, Meghan (May 22, 2023). "Stolen Cincinnati sculpture being remade in Italy". Local 12. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  11. ↑ Newberry, Patricia Gallagher (October 10, 2023). "Cincinnati's stolen wolf statue's replacement is in town and ready to return to the park". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved October 12, 2023.

39°07′03″N 84°29′17″W / 39.117523°N 84.487964°W / 39.117523; -84.487964

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