Monument a Colom, Barcelona

The Monument a Colom is a towering memorial to Christopher Columbus, rising at the meeting point of La Rambla and the old harbour. Its architect was Gaietà Buïgas i Monravà, and the work belongs to the iron architecture and historicist tradition. The structure was created for Barcelona’s Universal Exhibition of 1888 and opened on the first of June that year, becoming one of the city’s characteristic icons.

Look at the figure crowning the column: Rafael Atché made this 7 m iron statue of Columbus, shown with an outstretched arm and an index finger aimed towards the sea. Beneath him, the monument combines a column, an octagonal pedestal, sculpted figures, relief panels and medallions. The reliefs recount episodes from Columbus’s first voyage, including his departure from Palos de la Frontera on the 3rd of August 1492 and his return to Barcelona.

The interior contains an elevator leading to a viewing platform just below the statue. The monument’s original financing caused a public dispute: private donations fell short, so the city took responsibility, and the initial budget of about 300,000 pesetas was greatly exceeded. In 2020, 250 people protested its removal without damage or vandalism; the calls were rejected, and later attempts also failed.