Fountain in Madrid near the monument to Cervantes. Where to see the monument to Cervantes

Encierro (Spanish: encierro, from encerrar - to lock up) is a Spanish national custom that consists of running away from bulls, cows or calves specially released from the pen.

Chasing bulls or cows and generally running away from them is still a common pastime in rural Spain. In a number of villages (for example, in Segorba, (province of Castellon)), the driving of bulls by horsemen is part of local holidays. The word "encierro", however, only applies to the running of bulls in an urban setting, usually from a corral to a bullring (therefore, an encierro can be seen as a kind of prologue to a bullfight).

Tomatina August 30, 2017

La Tomatina (Spanish: La Tomatina) is an annual festival held in the Spanish city of Buñol, autonomous community of Valencia. Tens of thousands of participants come from different countries to take part in the battle, in which tomatoes are the “weapon”.

Sodomite parade Orgullo Gay July 2, 2016

The Madrid parade of sexual deviants "Orgullo Gay" was first organized in 1979 after the death of Franco. The event is currently organized by the Madrid LGBT Collective (COGAM) and the Spanish Federation of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders (FELGTB), with the support of national and international LGBT organizations. The parade is supported by many well-known organizations such as Microsoft, Google, Schweppes, as well as various political parties and trade unions, including the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, United Left. Madrid Gay Pride is the largest gay pride parade in Europe, with more than 1.5 million people participating each year.

The monument to the great Spanish artist Francisco Goya is located in front of the Prado Museum in Madrid. This work was made in bronze, marble and granite in 1902 and designed by the architect Mariano Benlliure.

At the foot of the monument is Goya’s famous “Macha Nude” cast in stone, most likely commissioned by Prime Minister Manuel Godoy, who had been the artist’s patron since 1795. “Maja Nude” is the only work he wrote during the period when nudity in art was prohibited by the Inquisition.

Monument "The Bear and the Strawberry Tree"

Puerta del Sol is the main square of the Spanish capital. It is here that there is a monument that repeats in its content the heraldic symbol of Madrid - a bear feasting on the fruits of a strawberry tree.

Such an unusual monument was created by sculptor N. Santafe in 1966. Once upon a time, a popular fountain with a female statue, which was called Mariblanca, gurgled at this place. The global reconstruction of the square destroyed the fountain, and forced Mariblanca to change its registration. The appearance of a clumsy bear instead of a slender female figure surprised the townspeople, but they quickly got used to it. And soon the bear figurine began to appear on stickers, postcards, keychains and turned from a strict heraldic symbol into a cute reminder of Madrid.

There are different versions as to why a bear and an strawberry tree appeared on the coat of arms of Madrid. Someone, for example, argues that this is a symbol of the division of possessions between the church and secular rulers. Thus, the church was responsible for rural lands, and the state was responsible for hunting lands, which caused constant confrontation. And some are inclined to think that the seven stars around the perimeter of the coat of arms are a symbol of the Big Dipper, hence the bear in the coat of arms of the capital. Today no one can give an exact explanation, but it doesn’t matter anymore. The main thing is that both residents of the city and its guests liked the monument, and a photo against its background will definitely appear in your album after visiting Madrid.

Monument to Miguel de Cervantes

The monument to Miguel de Cervantes, located in the Plaza de España in the area of ​​the Royal Palace in Madrid, was unveiled in 1929.

The creation of the monument was planned in honor of the 300th anniversary of the death of Cervantes, in 1917, but work on the construction of the monument was delayed for a long time.

The monument features a figure of Cervantes seated at the base of the stele and two bronze statues of his most famous characters: Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, who sit, respectively, on an old nag and a donkey. The top of the stele is crowned with a globe with 5 continents, as an allegory of the spread of the Spanish language throughout the world. Also visible in the complex are statues of Reality and Fiction, as well as a statue of Queen Isabella of Portugal and a fountain with the coats of arms of countries that use the language of Cervantes. Also adjacent to the monument are an Indian, a figure of Dulcinea and the group “Rinconete and Cortadillo”.

Monument to Gomez de la Serna Ramon

The Monument to Gómez de la Serna Ramón, erected in honor of the famous Spanish writer, is the centerpiece of the Vistillas Garden.

Gomez became famous as a representative of the avant-garde with a bias toward surrealism. He worked in all genres, with the exception of poetry. The monument to the writer was created by sculptor Enrique Perez Comendador and opened in 1972.

It is a bronze sculpture located on a marble pedestal in the center of a small fountain. The sculpture is created in the form of a pile of books and all kinds of things on which a woman stands, and on the front side, as if in a bowl placed on its edge, there is an image of the writer’s face. This monument seems to symbolize Borges’ words about Don Ramona that all his life he was writing “the book of everything in the world.”

Monument to Philip |V

The monument to Philip IV, made by the famous sculptor Pietro Tacca, is located in the eastern square of Madrid in Spain. It was created in 1640 based on a portrait of the king by Velazquez. Calculations for the center of gravity of a horse that rests only on its hind legs were made from the precise calculations of Galileo Galilei.

The equestrian sculpture of the king was moved to the center of this square by the great queen, Isabella II. Near it there is a beautiful park, which houses various sculptures made of limestone. They depict the kings of the first Spanish states that existed at different times on the Iberian Peninsula.

The pedestal of the monument is decorated with various bas-reliefs of the Romanesque style. The king himself proudly looks into the distance, and in his right hand stands a scepter. This place is very popular among tourists.

Sights of Madrid

As children, many of us read a book by one of the most famous writers of the seventeenth century, Miguel Cervantes, which describes the adventures of the sad knight and his faithful servant Sancho Panza. However, not everyone is well acquainted with the biography of this Spanish author. And even more so, not everyone knows that in honor of him and the heroes of his popular book, hundreds of monuments have been erected around the world. The most famous of them can be seen in cities such as Madrid and Havana.

Monument in Greece

The monument to Cervantes in Greece adorns the citadel of the Venetian fort. Near its picturesque walls (at Cape Scrofa) in October 1571, a large naval battle took place, as a result of which the united European fleet defeated the previously invincible numerous fleet of the Turks. The famous writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra took direct part in this battle. He commanded a platoon of Spanish soldiers and was seriously wounded. In honor of the writer, residents of the small Greek town of Nafpaktos erected a corresponding sculpture.

Monument to Cervantes in Spain

A monument dedicated to Don Quixote and Cervantes was erected in Madrid on Plaza de España, not far from the Royal Palace. The history of its appearance is connected with the 300th anniversary of the death of the great author.

In 1915, the Spanish government announced the terms of a competition to create a national monument that could decorate the city. The winner was the project presented by the sculptor Cullo-Valera and the architect Zapatera. The monument to Cervantes was opened in Madrid in October 1929, despite the fact that at that time the necessary work for its creation had not yet been completed.

The sculpture itself is a rather complex composition of three figures. In the center is the writer, who sits thoughtfully on a pedestal, and right in front of him are Don Quixote and Sancho cast in bronze. At the top of the stele there is an allegorical globe with five continents.

Monument in Russia

In 1980, Spain and the Soviet Union, as a sign of the unity and friendship of their peoples, agreed to exchange “cultural signs.” Russia, for its part, donated a monument created in honor of one of the most famous poets, prose writers and playwrights of Russian literature - Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. And in 1981, Madrid officially presented the capital with a monument to Cervantes, cast in bronze. Today it is installed near the River Station on Leningradskoe Highway.

It is especially worth noting that the monument to Cervantes in Moscow is an exact copy of the monument that has stood in the center of Cortes Square since 1835. Today it is one of the most beautiful and famous sculptures in Madrid, created by the famous sculptor Antonio Sola.

Monument to the writer in Cuba

In order to see the monument to Cervantes erected in Cuba, you need to go to the so-called Old Havana. Next, you need to walk along Empedrado Street, which starts from Cathedral Square, from the Museum of the Revolution towards the city Museum of Colonial Art, and enter Cervantes Square. It is here that the monument to the famous hero Don Quixote, made of white marble, is located. Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra sat next to him in an antique chair with a book.

Not all tourists know about this monument, installed on a very small area. As a rule, large groups are not brought here, and you can see the sculpture only by booking an excursion with a personal guide or by going on your own in search of it.

The most majestic monument to Cervantes and his heroes stands in Madrid in Plaza de España.

In 1915, on the eve of the three hundredth anniversary of Cervantes' death, a national competition was announced to create a monument to the great writer.

The sculpture was intended to decorate the newly created Plaza de España. The winning design was presented by architect Rafael Martinez Zapatera and sculptor Lorenzo Cullo-Valera. In 1920, a committee was formed to raise funds for the construction of the monument in all Spanish-speaking countries. The monument was opened in October 1929.

The complex composition of the monument includes the figure of Cervantes seated at the base of the stele and two bronze statues of his most famous characters: Don Quixote of La Manza and Sancho Panza, seated on an old nag and donkey. To the right and left are female figures. These are two images of Dulcinea: one is a “rude country girl”, as she was in life, the other is a “fragile, elegant society lady”, as Don Quixote imagined her.

The sad-looking knight immediately attracts attention. His dark figure contrasts sharply with the main mass of the monument, made of light materials. Perhaps Don Quixote is depicted at the moment when he goes in search of his beloved, Dulcinea of ​​Toboso.

Why is the Spaniards' love for Cervantes and his heroes so great? Because we are all a little bit of Don Quixote and we have something of Sancho Panza in us.

On the sides of the stella are characters from the works of Cervantes. This is on the right hand of the writer.

It's on the left.

The top of the stele is decorated with a globe with five continents, as an allegory of the spread of the Spanish language throughout the world.

I found a picture on the Internet where the “top of the head” is more clearly visible.

Second internet picture. General view of the square with the monument in the middle.

On the back of the column is a statue of Queen Isabella of Portugal. Below is a refreshing fountain.

The wonderful monument to Cervantes is surrounded by a park in which amazing freedom of morals reigns - in fact, everything that is not prohibited is allowed here. Liberated Madrid residents sunbathe on the grass.

There is another fountain in the square.

Young people like to gather near it in the evenings.

The main attraction of Madrid is the monument to Don Quixote and Sancho Panza - the heroes of the probably well-known work of Miguel de Cervantes. In fact, the monument is dedicated not only to these, albeit the most famous, characters: it is a whole complex that includes a fountain, a monument to the writer and many other sculptures and bas-reliefs.

There is a monument to Don Quixote not only in - the Spaniards honor this character and monuments to him are erected in Alcala de Henares, next to the house in which Cervantes lived, and in Mota del Cuervo (Cuenca), and in Puerto Lapiz ( Ciudad Real), but Madrid's Don Quixote is the most famous.

The creation of the monument to Cervantes in Madrid took quite a long time: the competition was announced back in 1915, a year before the 300th anniversary of his death. First place was awarded to the project presented by architect Rafael Zapatera and sculptor Lorenzo Cullo-Valera. However, there was no money for the construction of the monument, and in 1920, fundraising began in all countries for which Spanish is their native language. The required amount was collected only by 1925, at which time work began on the construction of the monument. The architect Pedro Muguruso was brought in to help them, who made some changes to the project (for example, he removed the figure of the goddess Victoria hovering over the monument and simplified the decoration of the balustrade). The opening of the monument (not yet completed) took place on October 13, 1929.

In the 50s, work to complete the monument resumed - Lorenzo Cullo-Valera's son, Federico, added several sculptures to the composition.

The composition of the monument, as mentioned above, is quite complex: in addition to Cervantes himself and the main figures (Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, riding Rossinante and a donkey named Gray), other characters and allegorical figures are depicted here. For example, on the reverse side of the stele there is a statue of Queen Isabella of Portugal sitting on a throne, at whose feet there is a fountain. The latter is decorated with the coats of arms of countries whose official language is Spanish.

The stele is decorated with a globe, which symbolizes the fact that the Spanish language has spread across all five continents, and representatives of different nationalities reading books - apparently the same work of Cervantes, which is second only to the Bible in the number of reprints.

In addition, the stele is decorated with other images, including statues of “Mysticism” and “Military Valor” and bas-reliefs, among which you can see a dancing gypsy girl and Riconete with Cortadillo. And next to the statues of Don Quixote and Sancho you can see 2 female statues - on the right and on the left. This is Dulcinea and... Dulcinea: in one version - a cheerful peasant girl, that is, the Dulcinea who existed in reality, in the second - apparently, the Dulcinea who existed in the imagination of Mr. Knight of the Sad Image. These two sculptures, like Riconete and Cortadillo, were added to the composition only in the 50s and 60s of the last century.

In addition to the monument, in Plaza España you can admire the Madrid Tower, the España building, Casa Gallardo and the Asturian Mining Company building that border the square, as well as take a walk in the park and buy souvenirs in the shopping arcades located very close to the monument.

Walking around the city center, you can easily reach Plaza de España on foot. And if you are coming here purposefully, then it is best to take advantage of