Monumento a Pedro de Mendoza, Bronze and marble monument in Lezama Park, Argentina.
Monumento a Pedro de Mendoza is a bronze and marble sculpture in Lezama Park in Buenos Aires, showing a conquistador driving his sword into the ground with an indigenous figure carved in relief behind him. The monument sits on a square base with a fountain feature and has a marble wall behind it with names of expedition members inscribed.
The monument was unveiled in 1937 to honor a conquistador who founded the first European settlement in the region during the 16th century. The inscriptions on the marble wall record the names of every man who undertook that journey.
The fountain at the base features two water spouts that represent the rivers connected to Mendoza's journey from Spain to the Americas. This design choice speaks to how the place marks a connection between two worlds and two waterways that shaped colonial history.
The monument is located in Lezama Park in the San Telmo neighborhood and is easily reached on foot, especially when visiting other museums and historic buildings nearby. The area offers several exhibition spaces so visitors can explore multiple historical sites in one visit.
The marble wall behind the main sculpture is carved like a history book, bearing the names of everyone who undertook the expedition southward. This makes it a place where you can read real names of people from that era, not just the story of the leader.
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