Columbus Monument

The idea to build this monument came from a man named Antonin Fages i Ferrer in 1856, and it took him sixteen years of failed attempts before Barcelona's mayor finally backed the project in 1872. A competition was held among Spanish artists, won by Catalan architect Gaeta Buigas i Monrava. The monument was inaugurated on June 1, 1888, just in time for the Universal Exposition, and most of the money came from private donors — only twelve percent was publicly funded.

The column stands 60 metres tall, with a 40-metre Corinthian column supporting a bronze statue of Columbus by sculptor Rafael Atche. He points his right hand outward with a scroll of parchment in his left. There's an old joke that he's pointing toward Mallorca rather than the Americas, but the direction is roughly southeast — which at least gets you to the Mediterranean. An elevator inside the iron column takes visitors to a small viewing platform at the top, just below Columbus's feet.

The monument marks the approximate spot where Columbus is believed to have been received by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella after returning from his first voyage to the Americas in 1493. Barcelona was the royal court's seat at the time, and the reception was reportedly lavish, with Columbus displaying gold, parrots, and several kidnapped indigenous people from the Caribbean.

Four bronze statues at the top of the column represent the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. The stone base is covered with reliefs and figures of prominent Catalans linked to Columbus's voyages. At 60 metres, it's the largest Columbus monument anywhere in the world — there are 64 worldwide, and this one dwarfs them all.