In 1921, it was decided to mark the 600-years anniversary of Dante Alighieri's death with a monument in Copenhagen. I'm a little unclear as to why they chose Denmark to commemorate an Italian poet, but a bunch of Danish expatriates in Rome raised money for this monument that was designed by the sculptor Einar Utzon-Frank in collaboration with the architect Carl Brummer. It consists of a statue of Beatrice Portinari mounted on an antique statue which was a gift from the city of Rome. A relief on the plinth shows Dante's portrait.
Originally in the plaza, the large column managed to land in the middle of H. C. Andersens Boulevard when it was redesigned in 1955.
Interestingly, the plaque has the name of Italian King Vittorio Emanuele III who visited Denmark on a state visit in May 1922. Italian King Vittorio Emanuele III and Danish King Christian 10)laid the foundation stone for the column. read more