Christopher Columbus is rightfully considered one of the greatest people on the planet in the history of its existence. The name of the great navigator named countries, cities, squares, museums. And in what city is the monument to Christopher Columbus erected?
The largest monument dedicated to the great traveler
Many cities in Spain have monuments to Columbus - the pride of the Spanish people. It is believed that the monument to Christopher Columbus in Barcelona is the largest and most famous. All tourists, after arriving in Barcelona, express a desire to visit this memorial. What dictated the decision to erect a monument to the sailor in this city?
Naturally, no one raises the question of why the monument to Columbus was erected in Spain. After all, everyone knows the answer: despite the fact that this seafarer is Jewish by nationality, he, nevertheless, was a subject of the Spanish kingdom. Naturally, after what Columbus did for his state, he became a national hero. On this occasion, squares and streets, museums and schools were named in his honor throughout the country. But with regard to the choice of Barcelona as a place for the erection of a giant monument, this is due to the fact that it was here that Columbus arrived from the American continent in order to report to their majesties Ferdinand and Isabella about his discovery.
Monument Location
We already know in which city the monument to Christopher Columbus is installed, now it remains to find out exactly where it is located. There is a picturesque Portal de la Pau square on the waterfront of the capital of Catalonia. From Spanish, this name translates as "Gateway to the world." Perhaps because of this, a monument to Christopher Columbus was erected on this square. Cultural experts say that in the distant 15th century, the navigator descended on the Spanish coast exactly in the place where this magnificent monument stands today.
Description
This monument is the largest of all existing monuments to the great navigator. It is an ensemble, which consists of a pedestal, a forty-meter column, a series of sculptures and the very figure of Christopher Columbus. The base of the monument is a concrete circle with a radius of ten and a half meters and four stairs with stone lions sitting on their sides. If you climb one of these stairs, you can see the 8-angle skirting with bas-reliefs made of bronze. They depict scenes describing the events of the first journey of H. Columbus to the American continent. At the foot of the pedestal you can see the sculptures of four associates of the great navigator.
There are four other statues that symbolize the Spanish states of those times. In addition, the supports contain images of people who in one way or another were involved in the implementation of the plan of the great navigator. Among them, you can see the royal couple, the abbot of the monastery of Hun Perez de Marchen, who facilitated the meeting of Columbus with royal persons. Further from the pedestal, the winged goddess Victoria, as if flying underneath the griffins protecting them, is flying up.
Sculpture of columbus
A seven-meter statue stands on a 41-meter column, made in the Corinthian style. The sculpture is made of bronze. One hand of Columbus points to the sea, and in the other he holds a scroll.
If we recall in which city the monument to Christopher Columbus was installed, and also imagine the location of the seafarer's hometown (Genoa), it becomes clear why his hand pointing to the sea does not point to the West, towards the New World, but to the east, in the direction to Italy.
Under the basement of the monument at an altitude of 60 meters there is an observation platform. It can be reached by elevator. It offers a beautiful view of the sea and the whole city. The idea of such a monument belongs to the artist Gayet Bouygas-i-Monrabe, but the bronze statue of the genius himself was made by the famous sculptor Rafael Atche, famous throughout the country. The author of the bas-reliefs is Alexander Volgemut, also a famous Spanish sculptor.
When the statue was erected
Now we know in which city the monument to Christopher Columbus is erected and why, however, let's find out when this happened. Back in the mid-19th century, the elders of Barcelona proposed a project to create a monument to the great Columbus. However, in order to translate this idea into reality, it took as much as 30 years.
Masters from different parts of the country gathered in Barcelona. Start of construction work was given in 1882. Over the course of the entire six years, several dozen builders, sculptors and architects worked on the erection of this statue. In June 1888, during the opening of the World Exhibition in Barcelona, the monument appeared in front of residents and guests of the city in all its grandeur.
