Colón Square

In my other post I spoke to you about Barcelona's Colón Square, and now I'm going to tell you about the Colón Square which is in Madrid. It is situated on a roundabout on Castellana street, and just before you reach Recoletos road.

This square stands out mainly for its monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus - which is in the centre - as well as the 'Jardines del descrubimiento' (Gardens of discovery) and the Columbus towers.

The monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus was constructed in 1892, (four centuries after America was discovered). It is made up of two parts and both the base and statue are architecturally different.

The pedestal is 17 metres in height, and has is unique for the Heraldic symbols it has, and each face of the pedestal has a distinct image.

The north face depicts a caravel (a type of Spanish sailing vessel) with a globe.

The south face shows the virgin of Pilar with a child and the names of the caravels.

The east face shows Columbus with Diego de Deza.

The west face shows queen Isabel offering to pawn her jewellery to help finance the journey.

The statue of Christopher Columbus is 3 metres tall, and depicts Christopher Columbus, who is carved in white marble, with one arm holding the flag of Castile and the other in the form as if he is offering something.

The Gardens of discovery are dedicated to the discovery of America, hence its name, and are brought together with a dedication to Cristobal Colón in statue form. It is a small area, in which the Monument of discovery and a pond stand out, as well as a high-up flag of Spain.

The most striking building in the square and area as a whole, are the Columbus towers. These two structures both seem to be suspended in mid-air because of what their base looks like. It's not only noticeable for its colour - orange with a pastel-green roof - but also for its height (116 metres). In the building there are offices, and shops on the ground floor.

Across from the towers of Columbus, is the Waxwork Museum, and a casino which has a sculpture of a giant frog symbolising fortune on the pavement.

In my opinion, the square is pretty, but I like the square in Barcelona dedicated to Christopher Columbus much more. The lions, and it's situated next to the sea which makes it more special.

The closest metro stop is called 'Colón' and the line which stops here is the 4.