Monument to Columbus (Madrid)

The Monument to Columbus (Spanish: Monumento a Colón) is a monument in Madrid, Spain. It lies on the namesake square, the Plaza de Colón. The basement of the monument is a Gothic revival work by Arturo Mélida while the topping statue is a work by Jerónimo Suñol.

History and description
The original idea to create a national monument to commemorate Christopher Columbus was promoted by Isabella II in 1864, yet the 1868 Glorious Revolution aborted the project. Later in time, the idea was resumed as the project could serve as commemoration of the upcoming marriage between Alfonso XII and María de las Mercedes. A public contest for the project took place in 1877, and the winner was Arturo Mélida. Following the scrapping of an earlier draft, the 17-metre high basement was built from 1881 to 1885. It was intended to be inaugurated on 4 January 1886, yet the death of the monarch aborted the event.

The 3.30 m high statue, a work in Carrara marble by Jerónimo Suñol featuring Columbus holding a flag of Castile, was delivered to the Ayuntamiento de Madrid in 1892.

The monument was dismantled in 1976 and moved a year later to a nearby location in the Jardines del Descubrimiento. It returned to its original location in 2009, in the context of the renovation of the Prado–Recoletos axis.