Monumento al Mono de la Pila, Stone fountain monument in Museum of Colonial Art, Colombia.
The Monumento al Mono de la Pila is a stone fountain featuring an octagonal base decorated with Spanish heraldic shields. A figure of Saint John the Baptist crowns the structure at its summit.
This structure was built in 1583 as Bogota's first public water fountain. For more than three centuries, it supplied the city's residents with clean water.
The fountain appeared in local sayings that parents used with children, telling them to take their complaints elsewhere. This everyday reference shows how the monument became woven into the daily language of the city.
The monument is located in the Museum of Colonial Art near San Diego Parish. Its position in Bogota's International Center district makes it straightforward to visit.
The name refers not to an animal but to an old term for fair-haired foreigners. This connection to the Baptist figure gives the name an unexpected cultural layer.
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