Columbus Monument

The Columbus Monument is a 60-metre tall monument of the famous explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus, situated at the lower end of Las Ramblas in Barcelona near Port Vell. It was constructed for the Universal Exhibition of 1888 to honour the explorer, who arrived in Barcelona returning from his first voyage to West Indies and was greeted by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. The monument was designed by Gaietà Buïgas and its construction was completed on 1 June 1888. Since then it became the most recognizable symbols of the city.

The monument consists of an iron pillar on top of which there is a 7-metre tall bronze statue of Columbus pointing the finger of his right hand at the port's exit, while holding a scroll in the left hand. Although at first it was believed that the direction to which Columbus is pointing is the direction of the New World, in reality, it is the exact opposite direction, where his supposed home town Genoa is located.

The statue was created by a sculptor Rafael Atché. The octagonal pedestal of the monument contains four bronze winged Phemes, each facing a different direction, a pair of griffins, portrait medallions depicting 8 people related to Columbus, and 8 statues, four of which represent the four realms of Spain: the Principality of Catalonia, and the kingdoms of León, Aragon, and Castile. The plinth of the pillar contains eight bronze panels depicting important events from Columbus' first voyage to the Americas.

Visitors can access the upper part of the pillar in an elevator which takes them to a sphere located right under Columbus' feet, from which they can admire a magnificent view of Barcelona.