Arco de la Victoria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arco de la Victoria |
|
|---|---|
Arco de la Victoria, Madrid
|
|
| General information | |
| Type | triumphal arch |
| Location | Moncloa |
| Town or city | Madrid |
| Country | Spain |
| Construction started | 1950 |
| Completed | 1956 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Modesto Lopez Otero and Pascual Bravo Sanfeliú |
The Arco de la Victoria (which means "Arch of Victory") is a large triumphal arch in Madrid, Spain. It stands in the Moncloa area. This impressive arch is 49 meters (about 160 feet) tall.
It was built to remember an important event. A leader named Francisco Franco ordered its construction. It celebrates the victory of his troops in the 1936 Battle of Ciudad Universitaria. This battle was a part of the Spanish Civil War.
What the Arch Says
The Arco de la Victoria has special messages carved into its stone. These messages are written in Latin. They tell us about why the arch was built and when.
Northwest Side Inscriptions
On the side facing northwest, you can read two important phrases. The first one says: "ARMIS HIC VICTRICIBVS MENS IVGITER VICTVRA MONVMENTVM HOC D D D". This means something like: "The ever-victorious spirit gives, donates, and dedicates this monument to the weapons that won here."
Below that, you see the dates: "ANNO MCMXXXVI Α / ANNO MCMXXXIX Ω". This tells us when the event it celebrates began and ended. MCMXXXVI is 1936, and MCMXXXIX is 1939. The letters Α and Ω are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They mean "beginning" and "end."
Southeast Side Inscriptions
On the southeast side, there is another long message. It reads: "MVNIFICENTIA REGIA CONDITA AB HISPANORVM DVCE RESTAVRATA ÆDES STVDIORVM MATRITENSIS FLORESCIT IN CONSPECTV DEI". This translates to: "Founded by royal generosity and restored by the leader of the Spanish, may the Madrid center for studies flourish in the presence of God." This part refers to a university nearby.
Underneath this, you find more dates: "ANNO MCMXXVII Α / ANNO MCMLVI Ω". Here, MCMXXVII means 1927. MCMLVI means 1956. These dates likely refer to the university's founding and its restoration.
See also
In Spanish: Arco de la Victoria para niños
- List of post-Roman triumphal arches
- Fascist architecture
