The Christopher Columbus statue used to stand behind the Casa Rosada (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
After months of debate, Buenos Aires’ city legislature has approved the removal of the Christopher Columbus monument from behind the Casa Rosada to a new location on Costanera Norte, close to Aeroparque. Yesterday, a group of PRO legislators joined with Frente para la Victoria to pass the measure, with 41 in favour, eight against.
The monument’s new home is at the Puerto Argentino breakwater, a location that “brings together symbolic characteristics, such as the proximity to the Río de la Plata and the orientation towards the old continent; and fulfils the appropriate characteristics for restoration and conservation of the sculpture”, according to the law.
The monument was a donation from the Italian community to the Argentine people at the start of the 20th century. Created by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Zocchi and made out of two different types of marble, it was completed in 1921 and has since remained in Plaza Colón (Columbus Place). But the location of the statue has always been a subject of debate, and last year president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner unveiled a plan to remove the statue from behind the government house and relocate it to Mar del Plata, on the Atlantic coast, and work began to dismantle the monument. However, the Buenos Aires city government opposed the measure, saying the statue is part of the capital’s heritage, belongs to the city. The monument, which has already been dismantled, has remained in pieces in Plaza Colón whilst the case was resolved.
Weighing over 600 tonnes and standing at 26 metres, the monument will be relocated in 30 to 40 separate trips over the coming weeks. The move is expected to cost around $25m due to the reinforcements needed to the new location to stop the statue from sinking.
Replacing Columbus behind the Casa Rosada is a bronze statue of Juana Azurduy, a guerrilla military leader born in 1780 in Sucre, Bolivia, who fought for the independence of Argentina and Bolivia alongside her husband Manuel Ascencio Padilla. Created by sculptor Andrés Zerneri, the statue has been completed and is rumoured to be unveiled on 12th October, the anniversary of the day that marks Columbus’ arrival to the Americas.
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