The ''Monumento a los Niños Héroes'' ("Monument to the Boy Heroes"), officially ''Altar a la Patria'' ("Altar to the
Homeland"), is a monument installed in the park of
Chapultepec
Chapultepec, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" (Chapultepec Forest) in Mexico City, is one of the largest city parks in Mexico, measuring in total just over 686 hectares (1,695 acres). Centered on a rock formation called Chapultep ...
in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
, Mexico. It commemorates the
Niños Héroes
The ''Niños Héroes'' (Boy Heroes, or Heroic Cadets) were six Mexican military cadets who were killed in the defence of Mexico City during the Battle of Chapultepec, one of the last major battles of the Mexican–American War, on 13 September ...
, six mostly teenage military cadets who were killed defending
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
during the
Battle of Chapultepec
The Battle of Chapultepec was a battle between American forces and Mexican forces holding the strategically located Chapultepec Castle just outside Mexico City, fought 13 September 1847 during the Mexican–American War. The building, sitting ...
, one of the last major battles of the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, on 13 September 1847.
Description and history
The six cadets are honored by an imposing monument made of
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 architect Enrique Aragón and sculptor
Ernesto Tamariz at the entrance to
Chapultepec Park
Chapultepec, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" (Chapultepec Forest) in Mexico City, is one of the largest city parks in Mexico, measuring in total just over 686 hectares (1,695 acres). Centered on a rock formation called Chapultep ...
(1952).
This semicircular monument with six columns, placed at what was the end of the
Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma (translated as "Promenade of the Reform") is a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. It was designed at the behest of Emperor Maximilian by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig during the era of the Secon ...
, a major thoroughfare leading from the central square (Zócalo) to Chapultepec Park. It contains a niche in each of its columns with an urn holding the remains of one of the cadets. In addition, the remains of Colonel
Felipe Santiago Xicoténcatl
Felipe Santiago Xicoténcatl (May 1, 1804 – September 13, 1847) was a colonel in the Mexican Army under president Antonio López de Santa Anna.
Xicoténcatl was born in the town of San Bernandino Contla in the state of Tlaxcala. He joined t ...
were placed in the center of the monument below the main statue. The monument is dedicated to the combatants against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
invasion with the phrase: “To the Defenders of the Fatherland 1846-1847”. The monument's official name is ''Altar a la Patria'' (Altar to the Homeland), but it is better known as the ''Monumento a los Niños Héroes'' (Monument to the Boy Heroes) and many official texts use the popular name instead of the official name.
See also
*
Obelisco a los Niños Héroes
*
Mexican-American War
*
Niños Héroes
The ''Niños Héroes'' (Boy Heroes, or Heroic Cadets) were six Mexican military cadets who were killed in the defence of Mexico City during the Battle of Chapultepec, one of the last major battles of the Mexican–American War, on 13 September ...
References
External links
*
{{Public art in Mexico City
Chapultepec
Monuments and memorials in Mexico City
Outdoor sculptures in Mexico City
Statues in Mexico City
Paseo de la Reforma