Capitoline Wolf Statue, Cincinnati

The bronze sculpture 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] The statue weighs 500 pounds. The upper portion of its base is made of white marble, while the lower portion consists of black granite. The base's Italian inscription reads "Il Governatore di Roma/Alla citta di Cincinnati/1931 - Anno X" ("The Governor of Rome to the city of Cincinnati 1931 - Year ten").^[2][3]

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, which was not dedicated until 1932.^[1][4][2] The sculpture was meant to honor Cincinnatus, the namesake of Cincinnati.^[5] The "governor of Rome" mentioned in its inscription is Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi, who was the statue's official donor.^[3] 1931 – Anno X in the inscription references the Era Fascista calendar that counted the years from the beginning of Mussolini's regime.^[5][6] The inclusion of 1931 as the tenth year of the Era Fascista in the inscription is a mistake, as the actual year of Mussolini's ascension to power was 1922.^[6]

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".^[7] 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".^[8]