Monument to Miguel de Cervantes

The Monument to Miguel de Cervantes is a prime example of public art located in Madrid, Spain. It stands proudly in the center of the Plaza de España, dedicated to the Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest, Miguel de Cervantes. However, its creation was not met with the acclaim one might expect. In 1915, a contentious contest was held to determine the project that would bring Cervantes' memory to life. The winning proposal, by Rafael Martínez Zapatero and Lorenzo Coullaut Valera, was criticized by many, including notable public figures like Ramón del Valle Inclán and Tomás Borrás, as overly literary, detail-oriented, and anecdotal.

Despite the criticism, the project moved forward with funding from a popular subscription across Spanish-speaking nations. Pedro Muguruza, who later joined as an architect assistant, oversaw the construction process. Standing 34 meters high, the central obelisk was finally completed in 1929, but several sculptural elements were still missing, including statues of Cervantes and characters from his works, which were added later. The monument was inaugurated on October 13, 1929. The Monument to Miguel de Cervantes is now a Bien de Interés Patrimonial, recognized by the Community of Madrid.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons