The Benavides Monument is a memorial in the

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel ...

in Manila, Philippines built to commemorate the founder of the University of Santo Tomas,

Miguel de Benavides Miguel de Benavides y Añoza, O.P. (c. 1552 – July 26, 1605) was a Spanish clergyman and sinologist who was the third Archbishop of Manila. He previously served as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia, and was the founder of th ...

, O.P. Located in front of the UST Main Building, the monument consists of a bronze statue of Benavides rising on top of a granite pedestal. The present monument was unveiled in 1946.

History

Plaza Santo Tomas (Present-day Intramuros)

Years after World War II, the original statue was transferred to the Sampaloc campus leaving the Plaza Santo Tomas in Intramuros an empty space. In the 1980s, the

Intramuros Administration The Intramuros Administration (IA) is an agency of the Department of Tourism of the Philippines that is mandated to orderly restore, administer, and develop the historic walled area of Intramuros that is situated within the modern City of Manil ...

redeveloped the area into a usable park. In 2002, the University administration in cooperation with the Intramuros Administration,

National Historical Institute The National Historical Commission of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural heritag ...

, and the University alumni renovated the park. Manuel Cueto of the UST College of Architecture designed the renovation. The renovation project began in March 2001. Only the fences were retained from the original design of the plaza, which were based on a 1936 Unitas. Intramurosjf0791 28

As part of the preparations for the Quadricentennial Celebration, a fiberglass replica of the statue was erected in its original location. The statue was sculpted by Dr. Crispin Viocencion and was inaugurated on January 25, 2002. Beside the Benavides statue is an obelisk containing the names of all the framers of the

Malolos Constitution The Political Constitution of 1899 ( es, Constitución Política de 1899), informally known as the Malolos Constitution, was the constitution of the First Philippine Republic. It was written by Felipe Calderón y Roca and Felipe Buencamino as ...

. A plaque on the base of the obelisk mentions the 53 names of the Thomasians who became part of the 1899 Malolos Constitution. However, based on historical documents, 54 Thomasians, who were also members of the

Malolos Congress The Malolos Congress (also known as the Revolutionary Congress), formally known as the National Assembly, was the legislative body of the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. Members were chosen in the elections held from June 23 to Septe ...

, signed the 1899 Constitution. An octagonal concrete marker was also added. Each side of the marker contains pictures of the original campus and the plaza.

Statue in Spain

Carrion de los Condes - Miguel de Benavides

A statue of Benavides was unveiled in his hometown in

Carrión de los Condes Carrión de los Condes () is a municipality in the province of Palencia, part of the Autonomous Community of Castile and León, Spain. It is 40 kilometers from Palencia, on the French Way of the Way of Saint James. History Carrión de los Condes ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, on July 1, 2006. The bronze statue was made by Carlos Diez Galán. An inscription in the base of the statue reads, "Miguel de Benavides, Carrión de los Condes. Primavera, 2006. Galán". In a bronze plaque in the front of the pedestal reads, "Fr. Miguel de Benavides, OP. 1552 - 1605. Santo Misionero Prov. Ntra Sra Del Rosario. Arzobispo y fundador de la Universidad de Santo Tomas de Manila". As part of the UST Quadricentennial Celebration in 2011, a mass at the Iglesia de San Andres and a wreath laying ceremony at the statue were held. It was followed by an inauguration of a library named after Miguel de Benavides in the same town.

Depictions

Depictions of the monument have been used by the university in various occasions. * Benavides Outstanding Achievement Award medal * Logo of the Simbahayan project of the UST Office of Community Development * 2019-2020 car sticker * UST Quadricentennial commemorative coins, stamps, and official first day cover in 2011 * UST Graduate School 50th Anniversary stamp in 1998

References

{{coord missing, Philippines Bronze sculptures in the Philippines Buildings and structures in Intramuros Monuments and memorials in Metro Manila Obelisks Outdoor sculptures in the Philippines Statues in the Philippines University of Santo Tomas