Park of Bolívar, Public park in downtown Medellín, Colombia.
Park of Bolívar is a rectangular green space in downtown Medellín with native trees, several fountains, and benches along paved pathways. An equestrian statue on a white marble pedestal stands at its center, with its layout easy for visitors to navigate.
The land was donated in 1844 by British engineer James Tyrrell Moore, who wanted the square named after Simón Bolívar. The uneven ground, with a marsh and a spring, was levelled and cleaned in 1868 under Governor Pedro Justo Berrío. The park was inaugurated in 1892. The equestrian statue, designed by Giovanni Anderlini and cast by Eugenio Maccagnani, was inaugurated on 6 August 1923.
The park's name honours Simón Bolívar, and the streets around it carry the names of places tied to his campaigns: carreras Junín, Venezuela and Ecuador, calles Caracas, Perú and Bolivia. On the first Saturday of each month the San Alejo crafts market fills the park, and on the first three Sundays the Universidad de Antioquia symphony band gives its open-air concert, a tradition of more than a century.
The park has benches for resting and public restrooms for visitors. The pathways are flat and paved, making it straightforward to walk through.
The equestrian statue was shipped from Genoa to Medellín by sea and then by rail, and its orientation was debated before it was set facing south. The white marble pedestal, designed by Belgian architect Agustín Goovaerts, carries inscriptions chosen by Cadavid Restrepo.
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