Monument to Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, Bronze monument at Cinta Costera, Panama City, Panama
The Monument to Vasco Nunez de Balboa is a bronze statue along the Cinta Costera waterfront in Panama City, showing the explorer with a Spanish flag in his left hand and a sword in his right, facing Panama Bay. The stone base below him holds four human figures arranged around a globe, supporting the main figure above.
The monument was inaugurated on September 29, 1924, with representatives from 15 Latin American countries attending the ceremony to mark Balboa's expedition. King Alfonso XIII of Spain offered the statue as a gift to Panama in recognition of that voyage.
The four figures at the base of the statue surround a globe, each representing a different part of the world as seen through the eyes of 16th-century European explorers. Visitors who look closely at the base can read the names and details carved into the stone before looking up at the bronze figure above.
The statue stands along Balboa Avenue on the Cinta Costera, a waterfront promenade that is easy to walk along from nearby neighborhoods. Visiting in the early morning gives better light for photography and a quieter setting along the seafront.
The statue was made by two Spanish sculptors working on different parts: Miguel Blay created the four figures at the base, while Mariano Benlliure sculpted the main figure of the explorer above. It is rare for a single public monument to be split between two well-known artists, each responsible for a distinct section.
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