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Monument to Columbus (Madrid)
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The Monument to Columbus (Spanish: Monumento a Colón) is a monument in Madrid, Spain. It lies on the namesake square, the Plaza de Colón. The basement of the monument is a Gothic Revival work by Arturo Mélida while the topping statue is a work by Jerónimo Suñol.
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History and description
The original idea to create a national monument to commemorate Christopher Columbus was promoted by Isabella II in 1864, yet the 1868 Glorious Revolution aborted the project.[1] Later in time, the idea was resumed as the project could serve as commemoration of the upcoming marriage between Alfonso XII and María de las Mercedes.[2] A public contest for the project took place in 1877, and the winner was Arturo Mélida.[3] Following the scrapping of an earlier draft,[3] the 17-metre high basement was built from 1881 to 1885.[4] It was intended to be inaugurated on 4 January 1886, yet the death of the monarch aborted the event.[4]
The 3.30 m high statue, a work in Carrara marble by Jerónimo Suñol featuring Columbus holding a flag of Castile, was delivered to the Ayuntamiento de Madrid in 1892.[5]
The monument was dismantled in 1976 and moved a year later to a nearby location in the Jardines del Descubrimiento.[6] It returned to its original location in 2009, in the context of the renovation of the Prado–Recoletos axis.[7]
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See also
References
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