The Monument to the Heroes (), popularly known as the Parabolic Arch (), is a quarried pink stone monument located on the

Paseo Cívico de Tacna The Paseo Cívico de Tacna, formerly known as the Plazuela de la Matriz during the Spanish era and as the Plaza Colón from 1892 to 1957, is the main square of the historic centre of Tacna, Peru. It features landmarks such as the city's cathedral ...

, built in honor of the heroes of the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...

, Admiral

Miguel Grau Miguel María Grau Seminario (27 July 1834 – 8 October 1879) was a Peruvian Navy officer and politician best known for his actions during the War of the Pacific. He was nicknamed "Gentleman of the Seas" for his kind and chivalrous treatment ...

and Colonel

Francisco Bolognesi Francisco Bolognesi Cervantes (4 November 1816 – 7 June 1880) was a Peruvian military colonel. He is considered a national hero in Peru and was declared patron of the Army of Peru by the government of Peru on 2 January 1951. Early life and ...

. It was inaugurated on August 28, 1957 during the government of

Manuel Prado Ugarteche Manuel Carlos Prado y Ugarteche (21 April 1889 – 15 August 1967) was a Peruvian politician and banker who served twice as president of Peru. Son of former President Mariano Ignacio Prado, he was born in Lima and served as the nation's 43rd ...

with the name Monument to the heroes Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario and Colonel Francisco Bolognesi ().

History

The parabolic arch is a monument located in the

civic centre A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains of one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, ...

Tacna Tacna, officially known as San Pedro de Tacna, is a city in southern Peru and the regional capital of the Tacna Region. A very commercially active city, it is located only north of the border with Arica y Parinacota Region from Chile, inland f ...

, designed by German technicians and donated to the country. It was inaugurated on August 28, 1959 during the government of

, dedicated to Admiral

and Colonel

, both killed during the

and featured as statues. The construction of the monument was made of pinkish-colored stone measuring 18

metre The metre (or meter in US spelling; symbol: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Since 2019, the metre has been defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of of ...

s high. This monument stands out for its breaking style with historical classicism and the architectural and urban conservatism of the surroundings. Some historians point out that due to its shape it represents the trajectory of a cannonball fired into the sky and others claim that it is the shape of the civic walk. On September 29, 2016, the

Central Reserve Bank of Peru The Central Reserve Bank of Peru (; BCRP) is the Peruvian central bank. It mints and issues metal and paper money, the Peruvian sol, sol. Its branch in Arequipa was established in 1871, and it served the city by issuing money as well as maintain ...

put into circulation the 1 Sol coin alluding to the arch as the twenty-sixth and last of the ''Numismatic Wealth and Pride of Peru'' series. On August 23, 2018, the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: * Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) * Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) * Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)Ministry o ...

declared the Monument as Cultural Heritage of the Nation.

References

{{coord, -18.0136, -70.2506, type:landmark_region:PE, display=title Buildings and structures in the Department of Tacna Monuments and memorials in Peru Cultural heritage of Peru

History

See also

References