Saint Louis’s Little Italy: The Hill

While many Italian Neighborhoods decided to dedicate statues to Columbus even as little as 35 years ago The Hill never did.  Baltimore’s Little Italy Statue of Columbus was carved in Italian Carrara marble, the toppled statue was owned by the city and dedicated on Oct. 8, 1984 by former Mayor William Donald Schaefer and President Ronald Reagan. A wreath-laying ceremony has long been held in Columbus Piazza, the area around the statue, before the annual Columbus Day Parade, which was replaced by a new Italian Heritage Festival in 2019.

Early in the 1970’s Saint Louis’s Little Italy called “The Hill” dedicated a statue to salute the Italians contribution to America. It was not a historical figure, but it was a monument to a group of people who did more for the Italian Families than any single figure in history. They honored the Italian Immigrant. Today this statue is a timeless representation of all immigrants. It stands outside of Saint Ambrose Catholic Church (Italian Neighborhood Church) near a marker that is dedicated to a local son of the Hill that was killed at Pearl Harbor.

In 2019, The Hill finished a Piazza just across the street from St. Ambrose Church.  The fountain, the gates and the religious statues come from Italy and it is a great representation of what is found in Italy today.  I believe it is the only one in America. These are just a few details that make the Hill unique and make it truly America’s Last Little Italy.

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