Monument to Alfonso XIII (Madrid)
The Monument to Alfonso XIII is an instance of public art in Madrid, Spain. Located in the Ciudad Universitaria, it consists of a bronze statue dedicated to Alfonso XIII, signifying the latter's role as promoter behind the erection of the campus in the 1920s.
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| 40.448711°N 3.728097°W | |
| Location | Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain |
|---|---|
| Designer | Fructuoso Orduna |
| Material | Bronze, stone |
| Height | 2.5 m (statue) |
| Opening date | 28 September 1988 |
| Dedicated to | Alfonso XIII |
History and description
The Permanent Committee of the Junta of Ciudad Universitaria awarded the design of a statue of Alfonso XIII to Fructuoso Orduna in March 1941.[1] The statue is the casting of one of the two plaster models of the former monarch that Orduna completed back by 1946.[2] The other one was about 5 metre high.[3] The plaster sculpture languished for decades stored in Arganda del Rey until it was cast in bronze.[2]
Gustavo Villapalos, the rector of the Complutense University of Madrid, decided to place the statue in the Ciudad Universitaria,[1] and it was thus unveiled on 28 September 1988 during a ceremony attended by the Count of Barcelona (son of Alfonso XIII) and María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as well as their daughters Pilar and Margarita.[4]
The bronze figure, about 2.5 metre high,[2] consists of a standing full-body depiction of Alfonso XIII wearing the clothes of Grand Maester of the Order of Charles III and the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece while holding a scepter with his left hand.[2]
The discreet pasture chosen as location for the monument makes it easy for the latter to become a target for vandal attacks.[3]
Bibliography
- Citations
- Fernández de Sevilla Morales 1993, p. 322.
- Portela Sandoval 2001, p. 42.
- Gómez Moreno 2015, p. 707.
- "Alfonso XIII, en su ciudad universitaria". ABC. Madrid: 1. 29 September 1988.
- Bibliography
- Fernández de Sevilla Morales, Miguel (1993). "Historia jurídico administrativa de la ciudad universitaria de Madrid" (PDF). Journal of Iberian and Latin American Literary and Cultural Studies. ISSN 2327-4751.
- Gómez Moreno, Ángel (2015). "Sociedad, política y cultura en la España regeneracionista: el legado de Alfonso XIII" (PDF). Studia Iberica et Americana. Fullerton, CA: California State University–Fullerton. 2 (2).
- Portela Sandoval, Francisco José (2001). "Pintura de los siglos XIX y XX. Escultura, orfebrería, mobiliario". Patrimonio artístico de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid: Editorial Complutense. pp. 29–46. ISBN 8489784736.