In 1919, the project for the Monument to the Heroes of Cavite and Santiago de Cuba was promoted in Cartagena, Spain. The monument was funded through a popular subscription that included high-profile contributors such as King Alfonso XIII, the Captain-General Miguel Primo de Rivera, and the Cardinal Primate of Spain Victoriano Guisasola. It was designed to commemorate the naval squadrons commanded by Patricio Montojo and Pascual Cervera during the 1898 Spanish-American War.
The monument, which reached a maximum height of 15 metres, consists of a stone pedestal and an obelisk. It features bronze sculptural elements including two allegories of Glory, the coat of arms of Spain, and sculptural groups representing Heroism and Patria. The front and back sides of the obelisk read "a los heroicos marinos de cavite y santiago de cuba, 1898" and "honor a las escuadras de cervera y montojo" respectively, while the lateral inscriptions list casualties from both battles.
Unveiled on 9 November 1923 during a ceremony attended by the Monarch and the US Ambassador Alexander Pollock Moore, the monument was officially recognized as a Bien de Interés Cultural in 2020. The procedure for this declaration began in 2020 following a positive report from the regional Service of Historical Heritage.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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