The ''Monument to Cánovas del Castillo'' (

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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: ''Monumento a Cánovas del Castillo'') is an instance of public art located in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, Spain. The monument consists of a bronze statue of

Antonio Cánovas del Castillo Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (8 February 18288 August 1897) was a Spanish people, Spanish politician and historian known principally for serving six terms as Spanish Prime Minister, prime minister and his overarching role as "architect" of the ...

by Joaquín Bilbao at the top of a pedestal designed by

José Grases Riera José Grases Riera (25 April 1850 – 12 February 1919) was a Spanish architect from Barcelona. Born in Barcelona, Grases graduated from the School of Architecture in Barcelona in 1878 and moved to Madrid shortly after. Through to the turn of ...

that features additional sculptural elements by Bilbao.

History and description

It was funded via popular subscription. It is located at the Plaza de la Marina Española, next to the Palace of the Senate. Following the description by Carlos Luis de Cuenca y Velasco, the monument features a lower circular basement. Over the first course, it lies a body with 12 drawers decorated with ornamental plants, featuring some

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act ...

es on its superior limit. In the middle body, there are two bronze sculptural groups placed in two ledges: on the front ledge there is a seated statue—''History''—writing the remarkable facts of the Cánovas' life in a book and a second standing statue—''Glory''—that leans with one hand on ''History'' and pulls with the other hand a

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath (attire), wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cher ...

touching the name of Cánovas, carved on the column emerging from the central body; on the back ledge there is a bronze trophy formed by a lion, the Spanish coat of arms and a flag. The truncated column is topped by a statue of Cánovas in an oratorical attitude, advancing his right arm while resting his left hand on a book placed on a pedestal. It was inaugurated on 1 January 1901.;

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * {{authority control Monuments and memorials in Madrid Outdoor sculptures in Madrid Sculptures of men in Spain Statues of prime ministers Buildings and structures in Palacio neighborhood, Madrid