Monument to Christopher Columbus

The Monument to Columbus is a statue over a pedestal which is dedicated to Christopher Columbus and was forged by sculptor Elías Rodríguez Picón. The statue was unveiled at 20 January 2011 at the Plaza de las Monjas Square, Huelva, during St. Sebastian’s Fest.

The ensemble consists of a 3-metre-high, bronze statue and a 4.5-metre-high, stone pedestal. The sculpture depicts the Admiral according to traditional depictions of the Discovery of America. The Admiral stands in front of Martín Alonso Pinzón Avenue, wears a medallion of the Virgen de La Cinta – the Patron Virgin of Huelva – and high boots and has a sword hanging from his waist. He carries a flag of the Crown of Castile with his left hand and points to the sea with his right hand through Vázquez López Street. The flag has a cross on the top as a symbol of the role played by the Catholic Church in Columbus’s journey.

The artist consulted historiographical documents and paintings in the Friary of La Rábida to transmit the discoverer’s strength, willpower, and self-confidence after a long journey during which everyone doubted whether he would ever land ashore. The pedestal is a brick square column with a covering with stone which is supported by some stone steps. This monument is a symbol of Columbus’s exploit and the city’s role in the Discovery of America.