Christopher Columbus in Barcelona
The Christopher Columbus monument in Barcelona is one of the most popular and iconic monuments in the city and is dedicated to the famous sailor.
This is one of the more than 60 monuments dedicated to Columbus around the world and for a long time, especially before the transformation of the city and the arrival of international tourism on the occasion of the 1992 Olympic Games, it was one of the most linked to Barcelona. Its location is in one of the must-see places for visitors, such as the famous Las Ramblas avenue. This avenue culminates in our Mediterranean Sea being the place where we find this monument.
The relationship between Columbus and Barcelona dates back to April 1493, when, after almost three months of crossing, he returned from his first trip to America, being received by the Catholic Monarchs (Queen Isabella of Castile and Fernando King of Aragon).
The construction of the monument began in 1881 and was inaugurated in 1888 on the occasion of the first Universal Exhibition of Barcelona. The main architect was Gaietà Buïgas and a total of 17 sculptors worked. The cost amounted to 300,000 pesetas of the time.
It should be explained that in recent years this monument has aroused quite a bit of controversy due to historical revisionism, not only in Barcelona but in many countries.
The monumental complex has a height of 57 meters and at the top is the statue of the illustrious navigator who with his 50-centimeter long finger … is not indicating the way to the American continent !! When you come to Barcelona we will tell you what destination the Admiral is pointing out to us.
CURIOSITIES OF THE MONUMENT OF COLUMBUS IN BARCELONA
- The monument is surrounded by 8 sculptures of lions, very fashionable in those times, to give magnificence to the whole. Inside it, an elevator was placed that rose to the base of the Columbus sculpture where there is a viewpoint, it is the first elevator that worked in Barcelona.
- A curious anecdote is that the statue of Columbus in Barcelona and the Statue of Liberty in New York were married in Las Vegas in February 1992 on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the “discovery” of America.