Columbus Monument

About

The Columbus Monument (Catalan: Monument a Colom, IPA: [munuˈment ə kuˈlom]; Spanish: Monumento a Colón or Mirador de Colón) is a 60 m (197 ft) tall monument to Christopher Columbus at the lower end of La Rambla, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was constructed for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888) in honor of Columbus' first voyage to the Americas. The monument serves as a reminder that Christopher Columbus reported to Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V in Barcelona after his first trip to the new continent.

At the very top of the monument stands a 7.2 m (24 ft) tall bronze statue atop a 40 m (131 ft) tall Corinthian column. The statue was sculpted by Rafael Atché and is said to depict Columbus pointing towards the New World with his right hand, while holding a scroll in the left. The statue points south-southeast (a more southerly direction than the adjacent Rambla Del Mar and almost a perfect extension of the direction of La Rambla, Barcelona ) and in effect is pointing at a point somewhere near the city of Constantine, Algeria. To point at Genoa in northern Italy the statue would have to face east-northeast and point up the coastline. It is more likely that the statue is situated in the current way simply to have Columbus point out to sea underscoring his achievements in naval exploration. The statue is atop a socle, on which the word "Tierra" (land) is inscribed.

The column, hung with a device bearing an anchor, stands on an octagonal pedestal from which four bronze winged victories or Phemes take flight towards the four corners of the world, above paired griffins. Four buttresses against the octagonal pedestal bear portrait medallions that depict persons related to Columbus:

- Beatriz Fernández de Bobadilla, Marquessa de Moya Seated against the buttresses are four figures that represent four realms of Spain: the Principality of Catalonia, and the kingdoms of León, Aragon, and Castile.

Against the base of the pedestal between the buttresses are four additional statues:

- Jaume Ferrer, a Mallorcan cartographer

- Father Bernat de Boïl, preaching to a kneeling Native American. An elevator inside the column takes visitors up to a viewing platform at the top (just below the socle).

The canted octagonal plinth is inset with eight bronze bas-relief panels that depict important scenes in Columbus's first voyage to the Americas:

- Columbus and his son asking for food at the La Rabida Monastery

- Columbus explaining his plans to the monks of the La Rabida Monastery

- Columbus meeting King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in Córdoba

- Columbus appearing at the council gathering in the Monastery of San Esteban in Salamanca

- Columbus meeting the King and Queen in Santa Fe

- Columbus leaving port from Palos de la Frontera on 3 August 1492

- Columbus greeting the King and Queen after his return in Barcelona Alternating with the bas-reliefs are eight coats-of-arms representing locations that Columbus visited:

The base of the monument is a 20 m (66 ft) wide circle, with four staircases. Each staircase is flanked by two lions.

At the very top of the monument stands a 7.2 m (24 ft) tall bronze statue atop a 40 m (131 ft) tall Corinthian column. The statue was sculpted by Rafael Atché and is said to depict Columbus pointing towards the New World with his right hand, while holding a scroll in the left. The statue points south-southeast (a more southerly direction than the adjacent Rambla Del Mar and almost a perfect extension of the direction of La Rambla, Barcelona ) and in effect is pointing at a point somewhere near the city of Constantine, Algeria. To point at Genoa in northern Italy the statue would have to face east-northeast and point up the coastline. It is more likely that the statue is situated in the current way simply to have Columbus point out to sea underscoring his achievements in naval exploration. The statue is atop a socle, on which the word "Tierra" (land) is inscribed.

The column, hung with a device bearing an anchor, stands on an octagonal pedestal from which four bronze winged victories or Phemes take flight towards the four corners of the world, above paired griffins. Four buttresses against the octagonal pedestal bear portrait medallions that depict persons related to Columbus:

- Beatriz Fernández de Bobadilla, Marquessa de Moya Seated against the buttresses are four figures that represent four realms of Spain: the Principality of Catalonia, and the kingdoms of León, Aragon, and Castile.

Against the base of the pedestal between the buttresses are four additional statues: