Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano

The Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano is a landmark of Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

, Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

. It is located at Plaza de Mayo

Plaza de Mayo

The Plaza de Mayo is the main square in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is flanked by Hipólito Yrigoyen, Balcarce, Rivadavia and Bolívar streets....

, in front of the Casa Rosada

Casa Rosada

La Casa Rosada is the official seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina, and of the offices of the President. The President normally lives at the Quinta de Olivos, a compound in Olivos, Buenos Aires Province. Its characteristic color is pink, and is considered one of the most...

. It depicts general Manuel Belgrano

Manuel Belgrano

Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano , usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano, was an Argentine economist, lawyer, politician, and military leader. He took part in the Argentine Wars of Independence and created the Flag of Argentina...

holding the Flag of Argentina

Flag of Argentina

The national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors...

, and it is made of bronze over a pedestal of granite.

History

In 1870 general Bartolomé Mitre

Bartolomé Mitre

Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...

, Enrique Martínez and Manuel José Guerrico designed a commission with the task of making a monument for Manuel Belgrano. This was requested to the French sculptor Louis-Robert Carrier-Belleuse

Louis-Robert Carrier-Belleuse

Louis-Robert Carrier-Belleuse was a French painter and sculptor.He was son and pupil of Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. He designed the patterns of the Faïencerie from Choisy-le-Roi, where he was artistic director. He was also the sculptor of the Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano....

, who would make the statue of Belgrano, and Manuel de Santa Coloma, who designed the horse. It was finished in 1872 and moved to Buenos Aires, where it was inaugurated on September 24, 1873, at an anniversary of the Battle of Tucumán

Battle of Tucumán

The Battle of Tucumán was a battle fought on 24 and 25 September 1812 near the Argentine city of San Miguel de Tucumán, during the Argentine War of Independence. The Army of the North, commanded by General Manuel Belgrano, defeated the royalist troops commanded by General Pío de Tristán, who had a...

. More than 20.000 people were present at the inauguration, and the Argentine National Anthem

Argentine National Anthem

The Argentine National Anthem is the national anthem of Argentina. The name of the song originally was Marcha Patriótica , and was later renamed Canción Patriótica Nacional and finally Canción Patriótica . A copy published in 1847 called it Himno Nacional Argentino and the name has remained ever...

was played at Teatro Colón that night.

During the government of Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear

Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear

Máximo Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear Pacheco , better known as Marcelo T. de Alvear was an Argentine politician and President of Argentina from October 12, 1922 to October 12, 1928.-Biography:...

it was thought that the base was too low, so it was raised. During the work the monument was rotated as well, and instead of watching towards to Buenos Aires Cabildo

Buenos Aires Cabildo

The Buenos Aires Cabildo is the public building in Buenos Aires that was used as seat of the ayuntamiento during the colonial times and the government house of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata...

it was made to look to the North, so that it didn't show his back to the Casa Rosada.

History

See also