The Monument to Cuba is an instance of public art in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, Spain, consisting of a fountain over which an sculptural group topped by an allegory of

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

emerges from. It is located at El Retiro Park.

History and description

The idea dates back at least to 1928, and it was endorsed by

Miguel Primo de Rivera Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja, 2nd Marquis of Estella, Grandee, GE (8 January 1870 – 16 March 1930), was a Spanish dictator and military officer who ruled as prime minister of Spain from 1923 to 1930 during the last years of the Resto ...

. The

Ayuntamiento de Madrid The City Council of Madrid () is the top-tier administrative and governing body of Madrid, the capital and biggest city of Spain. The city council is composed by three bodies: the Mayor of Madrid, mayor, who leads the city council and the execut ...

approved the erection of a monument in homage to

in 1929. The director of the works was

Mariano Benlliure Mariano Benlliure y Gil (8 September 18629 November 1947) was a Spanish sculptor and medallist, who executed many public monuments and religious sculptures in Spain, working in a heroic realist style. Life and works He was born in the Lower S ...

, who counted with help from Miquel Blay, Francisco Asorey and for the sculptural elements. Works chiefly took place between 1929 and 1930, only missing the monumental fountain by 1930. The original project included a bronze sculpture of Cuban president

Gerardo Machado Gerardo Machado y Morales (28 September 1869 – 29 March 1939) was a general of the Cuban War of Independence and President of Cuba from 1925 to 1933. Machado was elected president in 1924 as the leader of the Liberal Party, a moderate reform ...

, yet, following the delay in the inauguration of the monument, it was never added to the ensemble. The leading element on top of the monument is a female allegory of ''Cuba'', wearing a thinly draped tunic and a

Phrygian cap The Phrygian cap ( ), also known as Thracian cap and liberty cap, is a soft Pointed hat, conical Hat, cap with the apex bent over, associated in Classical antiquity, antiquity with several peoples in Eastern Europe, Anatolia, and Asia. The Phry ...

, designed by Blay. The pedestal displays the supporting figures of

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

(by Asorey),

Isabella I of Castile Isabella I (; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''Isabel la Católica''), was Queen of Castile and List of Leonese monarchs, León from 1474 until her death in 1504. She was also Queen of Aragon ...

(by Juan Cristóbal), as well as the coat of arms of Cuba. A bronze fore and an aft of a

galleon Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships developed in Spain and Portugal. They were first used as armed cargo carriers by Europe, Europeans from the 16th to 18th centuries during the Age of Sail, and they were the principal vessels dr ...

, a work by Benlliure, also emerge from the sides of the pedestal. The ensemble is also ornamented by iguanas, tortoises and tropicals fruits made of bronze, also by Benlliure. The animals serve as water source of the surrounding fountain. Following a long delay related to the political vicissitudes in both countries—including the renunciation of Primo de Rivera (1930), the proclamation of the Second Republic in Spain (1931) and the overthrow of Machado in Cuba (1933)—the monument was eventually unveiled more than two decades after its completion, on 27 October 1952, on the occasion for the 460th anniversary of the discovery of the

island of Cuba Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. It comprises an archipelago of islands centred upon the geographic coordinates 21°3N, 80°00W. Cuba is the principal island, surrounded by four main archipelagos: the Colorados Archipelago, Colorado ...

during the first voyage of Columbus. The ceremony was attended by

José Finat y Escrivá de Romaní José María de la Blanca Finat y Escrivá de Romaní (Madrid, February 11, 1904 - Madrid, May 30, 1995) was a Spanish politician and government official who held several important posts in Francoist Spain. After the Civil War he was named Directo ...

(Mayor of Madrid), Alberto Martín Artajo (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Mariano Vidal Tolosana (responsible for American affairs within the Foreign Ministry), the ambassadors of Cuba in Spain (Antonio Iraizoz) and Spain in Cuba (), and (President of the Provincial Deputation of Madrid), among others. File:Madrid - Parque del Retiro - Monumento a Cuba 01.JPG, Tortoise File:Madrid 2015 10 25 2964 (26495349976) (cropped).jpg, ''Cuba'' File:(Escudo de Cuba) Parque Del Buen Retiro (cropped).jpg, Coat of arms of Cuba File:(Isabella) Madrid 2015 10 25 2964 (26495349976) (cropped).jpg,

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpo ...

File:(Colón) Buen Retiro Monumento a Cuba02 (cropped).jpg,

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...

File:Madrid - Parque del Retiro - Monumento a Cuba 02.JPG, Iguana

Bibliography

;References ;Bibliography * * * * * {{authority control Sculptures by Mariano Benlliure Fountains in Madrid Monuments and memorials in Madrid Stone sculptures in Spain Bronze sculptures in Spain Statues of Isabella I of Castile Statues of Christopher Columbus Outdoor sculptures in Madrid Buen Retiro Park Buildings and structures in Jerónimos neighborhood, Madrid Lizards in art Sculptures of turtles