The Monument to Alfonso XII, located in Buen Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain, is a grand monument designed by José Grases Riera. After Riera died in 1919 with work still in progress, the architect Teodoro Anasagasti took control of the project without modifying the original design. The monument, financed by a popular collection, was inaugurated on June 6, 1922.
At its center is the equestrian statue of King Alfonso XII, created by Mariano Benlliure in 1904, surrounded by statues such as 'La Paz', 'La Libertad', and 'El Progreso'. The monument features stone lions carved by Agapit Vallmitjana i Abarca and Pedro Estany, while under the pedestals are four mermaids in bronze. The ornamentation of the friezes and the central base was done by Pedro Estany.
In the inside of the monument facing the lake are the bronze sculptures 'Las Ciencias', 'La Agricultura', 'Las Artes', and 'La Industria' created by various artists. The monument stands 30 meters high, 86 meters long, and 58 meters wide.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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