Monument to Agustina de Aragón (Zaragoza) facts for kids
| Agustina Zaragoza y las Heroínas | |
 |
|
| Coordinates | 41°39′20″N 0°53′33″W / 41.655553°N 0.892405°W |
|---|---|
| Location | Zaragoza, Spain |
| Designer | Mariano Benlliure |
| Material | Bronze, stone |
| Opening date | 29 October 1908 |
| Dedicated to | Agustina de Aragón, Mother Rafols, Countess of Bureta, Josefa Amar Borbón, Manuela Sancho, Casta Álvarez and María Agustín |
The Monument to Agustina de Aragón, also known as Agustina Zaragoza y las Heroínas, is a famous statue in Zaragoza, Spain. It was designed by Mariano Benlliure. The main part is a bronze statue of Agustina de Aragón standing on a stone base. This base also has other sculptures and carvings. These carvings honor six other brave women, known as heroines, who helped defend Zaragoza during the Peninsular War.
History of the Monument
.jpg)
People wanted to build a monument to Agustina de Aragón for a long time, even before 1901. In 1907, a special group in charge of the project chose Mariano Benlliure to design it.
The main statue of Agustina de Aragón was made from bronze at Cescati's factory in Barcelona. It shows Agustina wearing an artillery jacket and stepping on a cannon. It is said that the real-life Lucrecia Arana inspired this statue.
What the Monument Shows
The front of the monument's white stone base has a bronze figure of a baturro. A baturro is a traditional Aragonese peasant. This figure looks like it is placing a laurel wreath (a symbol of victory) on the name "AGUSTINA ZARAGOZA", which is written in bronze letters on the base. The baturro also has a guitar on his back.
On the back of the base, there is another bronze sculpture. It shows a Spanish lion, which represents Zaragoza, attacking an eagle. The eagle stands for the First French Empire (France). Below this, there is an inscription that says "2 de julio de 1808" ("July 2, 1808"). This date is important because it marks a key moment in the Peninsular War.
Both the lion and eagle sculpture and the baturro figure were also made at Cescati's factory in Barcelona. The Ministry of War provided the bronze for the monument.
The front of the base also has a carving that shows Agustina de Aragón using the cannon. On the sides of the base, there are more bronze carvings. These carvings honor other brave women from Zaragoza who were heroes during the war.
Opening Ceremony
The monument was officially opened on October 29, 1908. It stands in the plaza del Portillo. Important people attended the ceremony, including King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenie. Antonio Maura, who was the Prime Minister, and Florencio Jardiel, a church leader from Zaragoza, gave speeches at the event.
Images for kids
-
A closer look at the statue of Agustina de Aragón.
-
The sculpture of the lion attacking the eagle.
-
The baturro figure on the monument.
See also
In Spanish: Monumento a Agustina de Aragón (Zaragoza) para niños
