Monumento al Mono de la Pila, Stone fountain monument in Museum of Colonial Art, Colombia.

The Monumento al Mono de la Pila stands on the north side of the San Diego church in Bogotá's Centro Internacional. It rests on a stepped cement and stone base. At the top is a half-nude figure of Saint John the Baptist, covered only by a cloth falling from his forearms to his feet. The water basin is octagonal.

Built in 1583, the fountain was Bogotá's first public water supply, fed by the San Agustín River through the Los Laureles grove, which earned it the name "Acueducto Los Laureles." Before it, residents drew water from the contaminated San Francisco and Manzanares rivers. The original was later moved to the Museo de Arte Colonial, and a replica by sculptor Luis Alberto Acuña was placed beside the Iglesia de San Diego.

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.