Madre del Emigrante

The Madre del Emigrante, also known as La lloca'l Rinconín, is a bronze sculpture in the Somió district on the coast of Gijón, Spain. The work of the artist Ramón Muriedas Mazorra honors Asturian emigration around the world. The figure shows a woman with curly hair whose dress is pressed against her body by the wind. She gazes out over the sea and stretches out her hand to wave to the children she lost there. The depiction symbolizes the wait for the emigrants' return as well as the suffering endured under the harsh weather conditions of the Cantabrian Sea.

The history of the monument is marked by long delays and debates. The proposal for a monument honoring the mothers of emigrants dates back to 1958, on the occasion of the first congress of Asturian societies. After a commission was formed and an open competition was held for artists from Latin America, however, it was not until 1967 that Muriedas was commissioned to carry out the work. The Cerro de Santa Catalina was originally planned as the site, but because it was a military area, the decision was ultimately made to place it at the Rinconín, near Rosario Acuña Square. The unveiling took place on September 18, 1970, but it was accompanied by criticism, as many people felt the modern design was unsuitable for such a sacred symbol.

Over the decades, the sculpture had to be repaired several times. An explosion in 1976 damaged the lower part, and a later storm caused the figure to tilt. It was not until 1995 that it was repaired by Francisco González Macías, who improved its stability and adjusted the head and left hand. After a period in temporary storage, it was finally erected between 1995 and 1996 on a raised platform with a small staircase. The original inscription was replaced with the poem "Al son del agua" by the poet Alfonso Camín. Further restorations followed in 2004 to fix cracks and missing fingers, and in 2012 after vandals damaged the middle finger of the right hand.