A Aribau, Monument in Barcelona
A Aribau is a bronze sculpture in Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona depicting the Catalan writer Bonaventura Carles Aribau standing upright and calm, holding a book in one hand. The figure rests on a carved stone pedestal with engraved text and symbolic elements such as laurel branches.
The figure was created in 1884 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Aribau's famous poem, which sparked a cultural revival in Catalonia. The original stone statue was replaced with a more durable bronze version in 1934, which has been preserved to this day.
The pedestal carries inscriptions naming Aribau as poet, economist and stenographer, alongside laurel branches and oak leaves. The Ionic pilaster is fluted in the shape of a lyre, with a star for the poet's genius and a writer's quill. The railing around the esplanade between the Magnolias and Elms promenades was designed with Antoni Gaudí's involvement.
The monument is located in Parc de la Ciutadella, easily walkable from Barcelona's city center and open during daylight hours. Visitors can walk around the sculpture, view it from different angles, and rest on nearby benches.
The monument was funded by public subscription after a shortfall of 2,500 pesetas, and the Diario de Barcelona opened a campaign to clear the debt. The sculptor Manuel Fuxà donated the plaster model of the statue to the Biblioteca Museu Víctor Balaguer in Vilanova i la Geltrú, where it can still be seen.
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