Monumento a Cristobal Colón

The Columbus Monument stands on the Plaza de Colón in Madrid and brings together two artistic eras. The neo-Gothic pedestal is the work of Arturo Mélida, while the Carrara marble statue towering above it was created by Jerónimo Suñol. It depicts Christopher Columbus holding a Castilian flag. The idea for this national monument came from naval officer Miguel Lobo y Malagamba, who began collecting donations in 1861. After political turmoil and Lobo's death, the project was relaunched several times, including with the support of the Uruguayan state, which donated marble for the pedestal. The pedestal was built between 1881 and 1885, and the statue was completed in 1892. After being temporarily relocated to the Jardines del Descubrimiento, the monument returned to its original site in 2009. Today it makes an important historical statement along the prestigious axis between the Prado and Retiro Park, where you can see the link between Spanish history and the Age of Discovery.