Columbus Monument
Columbus Monument, Barcelona
Address
Plaça Portal de la Pau
GPS
41.3758023, 2.178141
The Columbus Monument is a 60 m high monument to Christopher Columbus at the lower end of La Rambla, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was built for the Universal Exhibition of Barcelona in honor of Columbus’ first trip to the Americas.
The Columbus monument was opened to the public for the first time on June 1, 1888, in conjunction with the World Exhibition. In June of 2013, following an extensive renovation, the Monument a Colom was finally ready to welcome visitors again. The very lovely cellar, which features a room for displaying Catalan wines as well as a souvenir shop, has also been opened up to the general public.
If you are interested in getting an overview of Barcelona’s old town and harbour, paying the visit is definitely something you should consider doing. In addition, you can see the Sagrada Familia, Tibidabo, the Torre Glries, and Montjuic from here.
A statue of Christopher Columbus
The complete structure is known as the Mirador de Colom, and it can be found on the Placa del Portal de la Pau, which is near the end of the Rambla on the south side of the street. The actual memorial in honour of the intrepid explorer and adventurer Christopher Columbus is situated high up on the column.
In 1493, when Columbus returned from his exploration of the Americas, he was welcomed back to Barcelona by King Ferdinand II and praised for discovering the new world. The bronze statue of Christopher Columbus faces Mallorca, the location from which he set sail, and it points in that direction. He is navigating with the help of a nautical chart, which he is holding in his left hand.
