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Monument to Philip IV of Spain facts for kids

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Madrid May 2014-33
Equestrian statue of Philip IV
Monumento a Felipe IV (Madrid) 05
West side

The Monument to Philip IV is a famous statue and fountain in the heart of Madrid, Spain. It stands in the middle of the beautiful Plaza de Oriente. This monument honors Philip IV of Spain, who was a king of Spain.

About the Monument to Philip IV

The monument was built because Isabella II of Spain, another Spanish queen, wanted it. It was finished and opened to the public on November 17, 1843.

But the main part of the monument, the statue of King Philip IV on his horse, is much older. It was made in the 1600s by an Italian artist named Pietro Tacca. He started working on it in 1634. The statue was sent to Madrid in 1640.

The Amazing Statue

The statue shows King Philip IV riding a horse that is rearing up on its back legs. This was a very difficult thing to sculpt! The famous painter Diego Velázquez helped by making drawings for the statue. Another artist, Juan Martínez Montañés, also created a bust (a sculpture of the head and shoulders) that helped Tacca.

The most amazing part is how the statue stands. The famous scientist Galileo Galilei helped figure out how to make it stable. The horse balances on its two back legs and its tail. This was a huge challenge for sculptors at the time. No one had ever made such a large statue balance in this way before. It was a dream for artists like Leonardo da Vinci to achieve such a feat.

The monument, with its impressive statue and fountain, is a central part of the area. It stands right in front of the Royal Palace, making it a very important landmark in Madrid.

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