Plaza de Colón, one of the most popular tourist attractions of Madrid which houses two monuments which were built in the memory of Spanish sailor, Christopher Columbus.
Plaza de Colón is a well-known area in Madrid which is a primary tourist attraction for the fact that two monuments in the memory of famous Spanish sailor, Christopher Columbus or Cristobal Colón in Spanish has been built at the place. This plaza was originally known as Plaza de Santiago and was later renamed in the year 1893, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery expedition to America.
Columbus Statue
The Columbus Statue at the Plaza de Colón has the figure of the sailor himself placed atop on the monument, and it is located in the Paseo de la Castellana side of Plaza de Colón. The statue is placed on a tall column and is facing eastwards. This 17 meters high monument follows a neo-Gothic pattern and was completed in the year 1885, under the rule of King Alfonso XII. On the eastern side of the monument lies the statue of Queen Elizabeth who is here shown in an act of displaying her jewelry. Below
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the statue lies an excellent cascading jet of water. Underneath the fountain, one can find steps leading towards the cultural arts centre, Centro Cultural de la Villa. This is a popular venue of the city for hosting folk concerts, ballet, puppet shows and other cultural events.
Columbus Monument
The second most prominent monument at the Plaza de Colón is the Columbus Monument which is a huge piece of cement that resembles the structure of an anchor. This popular monument was designed by Joaquin Vaquero Turcois, a renowned Spanish architect and was housed in the Plaza de Colón much later than the original statue of Christopher Columbus. The sculpture has been decorated with inscriptions of famous philosophers and well-known Spanish intellectuals.
The Plaza de Colón also has extremely beautiful gardens located on all its sides and these are popularly known as Gardens of Discovery. At the centre of this garden lies the 290 square meter banner which weighs about 25 kilograms and is placed on a mast. The tip of the banner rotates according to the flow of the wind.
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