Monumento a Cristóbal Colón de Ciudad de Guatemala, Historical monument in Guatemala City, Guatemala
The Monumento a Cristóbal Colón de Ciudad de Guatemala is a monument standing in the city center featuring a bronze statue atop a stone pedestal. The work displays inscriptions and decorative details that make it a notable landmark in the urban landscape.
The Spanish artist Tomás Mur made the monument between 1893 and 1896 on the order of President José María Reina Barrios for the fourth centenary of the discovery of America. It was inaugurated on 30 June 1896 on the Plaza de Armas, facing the government palace, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Liberal Reform. In 1943 it was moved to the Jocotenango park for the construction of the National Palace under Jorge Ubico Castañeda, and in 1962 the Guatemala City municipality placed it at its final site.
The monument's inauguration on 30 June 1896 coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Liberal Reform. For the Fourth Centenary, the government of José María Reina Barrios issued Decree 443 in June 1892, making 12 October a holiday and launching a poetry and hymn contest in honour of Columbus. A school procession on 11 October ended at a provisional monument built in front of the Teatro Colón under Manuel Lisandro Barillas.
The monument stands in its definitive location since 1962, when the Guatemala City municipality installed it after its 1943 move to the Jocotenango park during construction of the National Palace. It is a freestanding outdoor sculpture, so it can be viewed from the surrounding public space at any hour.
The monument's creator was the Spanish artist Tomás Mur, not Charles Cordier, and it was commissioned by President José María Reina Barrios for the Fourth Centenary of the Discovery of America. It was inaugurated on 30 June 1896, the same date as the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Liberal Reform, and moved to its current site in 1962.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,698 contributors worldwide.