The ''Monument to Columbus'' (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: ''Monumento a Colón'') is a monument in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, Spain. It lies on the namesake square, the

Plaza de Colón Plaza de Colón (''Columbus Square'', in English) is located in the encounter of Chamberí, Centro and Salamanca districts of Madrid, Spain. This plaza and its fountain commemorate the explorer Christopher Columbus, whose name in Spanish was Cri ...

. The basement of the monument is a

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

work by Arturo Mélida while the topping statue is a work by Jerónimo Suñol.

History and description

The original idea to create a national monument to commemorate

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

was promoted by

Isabella II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...

in 1864, yet the 1868 Glorious Revolution aborted the project. Later in time, the idea was resumed as the project could serve as commemoration of the upcoming marriage between

Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as El Pacificador or the Peacemaker, was King of Spain from 29 December 1874 to his death in 188 ...

and María de las Mercedes. A public contest for the project took place in 1877, and the winner was Arturo Mélida. Following the scrapping of an earlier draft, the 17-metre high basement was built from 1881 to 1885. It was intended to be inaugurated on 4 January 1886, yet the death of the monarch aborted the event. The 3.30 m high statue, a work in

Carrara marble Carrara marble, Luna marble to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara in the province of Massa ...

by Jerónimo Suñol featuring Columbus holding a flag of Castile, was delivered to the

Ayuntamiento de Madrid The City Council of Madrid ( es, Ayuntamiento de Madrid) is the top-tier administrative and governing body of the Madrid, the capital and biggest city of Spain. The City Council is composed by three bodies; the Mayor of Madrid, Mayor who leads th ...

in 1892. The monument was dismantled in 1976 and moved a year later to a nearby location in the . It returned to its original location in 2009, in the context of the renovation of the

Prado The Prado Museum ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It migh ...

– Recoletos axis.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * {{authority control Monuments and memorials in Madrid Outdoor sculptures in Madrid Sculptures of men in Spain Statues of Christopher Columbus Gothic Revival architecture in Madrid Monuments and memorials to Christopher Columbus Buildings and structures in Recoletos neighborhood, Madrid Monumental columns in Spain Flags in art Relocated buildings and structures in Spain

History and description

See also

References