In the heart of Madrid lies the Monument to General Espartero, a work by Pablo Gibert dedicated to General Baldomero Espartero, known as "the Peacemaker". Commissioned during the Restoration period to define national unity against Carlist forces, the monument embodies a symbol of peacemaking. Gibert's preliminary project, titled Gloria al Pacificador, won the public contest in 1884.
Works started in 1885, and the bronze statue was cast at the J. Comas y Hermanos foundry in Barcelona. The statue depicts Espartero triumphantly entering the city while riding his horse and greeting with a hand that holds a bicorne. Standing 5 metres high and weighing 11.5 tonnes, the bronze statue rests on a 5 metre high pedestal made of white marble from Novelda.
The pedestal features two lateral reliefs by Gibert depicting the Battle of the Bridge of Luchana and the Embrace of Vergara. The front side reads A Espartero el pacificador. 1839. La Nación agradecida. The monument was unveiled on 5 August 1886.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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