Monument to Isabella the Catholic (Granada)
{{Short description|1892 monument in Granada, Spain}}
{{Infobox monument
| name = Isabella the Catholic
| native_name = Isabel la Católica
| image = Granada Plaza de Isabel la Católica Kolumbus-Denkmal 4.jpg
| caption =
| location = {{ill|Plaza de Isabel la Católica|es}}, Granada, Spain
| designer = Mariano Benlliure
| length =
| width =
| height =
| weight =
| begin =
| complete =
| dedicated =
| open = {{start date and age|1892|11|02|df=y}}
| restore =
| dismantled =
| dedicated_to = Isabella I of Castile, Christopher Columbus, Columbian exploration of the Americas
| map_name =
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| coordinates = {{coord|37.175649|N|3.597444|W|type:landmark_region:ES|display=inline,title}}
}}
The Monument to Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: Monumento a Isabel la Católica) also known as the Monumento a Isabel la Católica y Colón ("Monument to Isabella the Catholic and Columbus") or monumento del IV Centenario ("Monument of the 400th Anniversary") is an instance of public art in Granada, Spain. Designed by Mariano Benlliure, it consists of a bronze sculptural group depicting a meeting of Isabella I of Castile with Christopher Columbus.
History and description
By 1890, several Spanish cities had already set arrangements in motion in order to erect their own commemorative monument to the 400th anniversary of the first voyage of Christopher Columbus to the Americas.
In the case of Granada, a bombastic triumphal arch featuring a mashup of Aztec, Hispano–Arab and Renaissance styles sketched by {{ill|Justo de Gandarias|es}} was tentatively proposed as project for the commemoration of the 400th anniversary.{{Sfn|Melendreras Gimeno|2008|p=114}} However, even after asking for funds to the Government of Spain, the Ayuntamiento de Granada did not have even a fraction of the budget needed to carry out such an expensive large-scale endeavor, so a public contest for a new project was called. After the contest was declared void, Prime Minister Cánovas del Castillo personally took action and awarded the design to Mariano Benlliure.{{Sfn|Peiró Martín|2003|pp=37–38}}
The bronze sculptural group topping off the monument depicts a meeting of Columbus with Queen Isabella, seated on her throne. The upper part of the pedestal serves as a staircase on which Columbus stops to bow to the queen.{{Sfn|Díez|2013|p=24}} The sculptural group was also reportedly set to include a figure of Boabdil, but the idea just fell apart.{{Sfn|Reyero|2013|p=96}}
The commemoration of the 400th anniversary utterly failed; it did not even take place on 12 October as it was intended in the first place.{{Sfn|Peiró Martín|2003|p=38}} Queen regent Maria Christina of Habsburg–Lorraine refused to travel to Granada to inaugurate the monument. This caused a revolt in the city that ended with fires, riots and barricades. With the town in arms, after setting fire to the withered ornamental arches that had been prepared time ago to welcome the royal retinue,{{Cite web|url=https://www.elindependientedegranada.es/cultura/cuando-granada-mando-porra-regente-maria-cristina-gobierno-canovas-1892|website=El Independiente de Granada|title=Cuando Granada 'mandó a la porra' a la regente María Cristina y al gobierno de Cánovas, en 1892|first=Gabriel|last=Pozo Felguera|date=14 May 2017}} the scorned people of Granada informally unveiled the monument on 2 November 1892, then placed in its original location at the Paseo del Salón.{{Cite web|url=https://www.granadahoy.com/granada/monumento-IV-Centenario_0_759824539.html|website=Granada Hoy|title=El monumento del IV Centenario|date=8 December 2013}}
Following a 1961 resolution, the monument was relocated in 1962 by the Ayuntamiento de Granada to its current placement at the {{ill|Plaza de Isabel la Católica (Granada)|es|Plaza de Isabel la Católica (Granada)|lt=Plaza de Isabel la Católica}}, not far from the burial place of Isabella in the Royal Chapel of Granada.{{Sfn|Romero-Sánchez|Marfil-Carmona|2020|p=202}}
See also
References
;Citations
{{reflist|2}}
;Bibliography
- {{Cite book|last=Díez|first=José Luis|chapter=El dominio de la escultura|pages=17–29|isbn=978-84-451-3458-0|year=2013|publisher=Dirección General de Patrimonio Histórico de la Comunidad de Madrid; Consorcio de Museos de la Comunitat Valenciana|location=Madrid & Valencia|title=Mariano Benlliure. El dominio de la materia|url=http://www.madrid.org/bvirtual/BVCM019041.pdf}}
- {{Cite journal|first=José Luis|last=Melendreras Gimeno|title=El escultor Justo Gandarias y Planzón (1846-1933)|url=http://www.realacademiasancarlos.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Archivo-de-Arte-Valenciano-LXXXIX-2008.pdf|journal=Archivo de Arte Valenciano|volume=LXXXIX|year=2008|pages=105–116|location=Valencia|issn=0211-5808|publisher=Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- {{Cite book|first=Ignacio|last=Peiró Martín|url=https://ifc.dpz.es/recursos/publicaciones/21/47/_ebook.pdf|editor-first=María del Carmen|editor-last=Lacarra Ducay|editor-first2=Cristina|editor-last2=Giménez Navarro|title=Historia y política a través de la Escultura pública 1820-1920|location=Zaragoza|publisher=Institución Fernando el Católico|isbn=84-7820-686-8|year=2003|chapter=La historia, la política y la imagen crítica de la Restauración}}
- {{Cite book|last=Reyero|first=Carlos|chapter=Benlliure monumental|pages=91–111|isbn=978-84-451-3458-0|year=2013|publisher=Dirección General de Patrimonio Histórico de la Comunidad de Madrid; Consorcio de Museos de la Comunitat Valenciana|location=Madrid & Valencia|title=Mariano Benlliure. El dominio de la materia|url=http://www.madrid.org/bvirtual/BVCM019041.pdf}}
- {{Cite journal|last1=Romero-Sánchez|first1=Guadalupe|last2=Marfil-Carmona|first2=Rafael|year=2020|title=La imagen de la mujer en el patrimonio urbano de Granada. El espacio público de la ciudad como "escenario comunicativo"|journal=Revista Internacional de Investigación en Comunicación aDResearch ESIC|issue=22|volume=22|pages=196–213|doi=10.7263/adresic-022-11|url=https://www.esic.edu/sites/default/files/pages_import/12-vol-22_0.pdf|doi-access=free}}
{{Mariano Benlliure}}
{{Granada monuments}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Statues of Isabella I of Castile
Category:Statues of Christopher Columbus
Category:Outdoor sculptures in Andalusia
Category:Bronze sculptures in Spain
Category:Monuments and memorials in Andalusia
Category:Buildings and structures in Granada
Category:Sculptures by Mariano Benlliure