Overview:

: Monumento a Cristóbal Colón is a monument located in the historic center of Mexico City honoring the explorer Christopher Columbus. The monument was designed in the late 19th century by Spanish architect Manuel Tolsá. It is one of the most iconic symbols of the city's history, and features an impressive bronze statue of Columbus atop a tall pedestal encircled with four bronze panels depicting the four parts of his first journey to the Americas. The monument stands as a reminder of Mexico’s connection to Spain and to the Old World, and serves as a commemoration of the explorer’s legacy in the New World. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Mexico
Prominent Features:

City's Colonia Roma neighborhood stands the Monumento a Cristóbal Colón (Monument to Christopher Columbus), a white marble and granite memorial that celebrates Christopher Columbus and his voyages of discovery in 1492. The monument, which dates back to the early 20th century, features a large, central statue of Columbus standing atop a marble pedestal. Behind him are four smaller figures, representing the continents that Columbus claimed to have discovered. The pedestal and figures are surrounded by an elaborate, rectangular stone frames. The monument is also decorated with images and sculptural elements paying tribute to Columbus and his audacious journeys. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Mexico.

History:

Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus) is one of the most important figures in Mexican history, and his legacy is celebrated with a memorial statue known as Monumento a Cristóbal Colón located in Mexico City. This monument originally was built to memorialize the fourth centenary of the voyage of Columbus to the new world. It was unveiled in October of 1898 and is a symbol of Mexico’s rich historical legacy. The monument consists of an impressive bronze portrait of Columbus, surrounded by four marble columns topped with sculptures of eagles that symbolize the four directions. The statue is placed atop a tall pedestal located in the central square of the city. Recently, the monument was redesigned in 2012 to reflect Mexico’s multicultural heritage. The addition of four bronze sculptures symbolizing Mexico’s four main cultures, Spanish, Nahuatl, Maya and Olmec, surrounds the monument, as a way to recognize Mexico’s complex cultural and racial diversity. Today the Monumento a Cristóbal Colón is a much appreciated symbol of Mexico’s connection with its pre-Columbian past. Visit one of the famous monuments of Mexico with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

City 1. The statue of Christopher Columbus stands at the east end of the Alameda Central, a large green space in the heart of Mexico City. 2. The monument was constructed in 1877 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Spanish explorer’s first voyage to the Americas. 3. The statue consists of three sections: a bronze figure of Columbus almost six meters tall, a Doric temple representing the Motherland, and a marble base with inscriptions. 4. Atop the monument is a bronze figure of Winged Victory, a symbol of Spain’s supremacy over the new lands. 5. The monument was designed by Italian sculptor Pasquale Romanelli, and erected by Spanish contractor Don Camilo Arriola in 1877. 6. The sculptor used 25 blocks of fine stone, 10,000 bronze nails and 250 marble plates to complete the monument. 7. In 1976, the statue was declared a historical and artistic monument by the government of Mexico City. 8. It is the only public monument in Mexico with a bust of Christopher Columbus. One of the historical monuments of Mexico, it tells the story of a bygone era