The emigrant's mother facts for kids

Quick facts for kids La madre del emigrante
La lloca'l Rinconín
Artist	Ramón Muriedas Mazorra

The Emigrant's Mother is a famous statue in Gijón, Spain. People also call it La Lloca'l Rinconín or La Muyerona. It was made by an artist named Ramón Muriedas Mazorra. This statue stands by the sea in Somió, a part of Gijón. It was built to honor all the mothers from Asturias (a region in Spain) whose children moved to other countries around the world.

What the Statue Looks Like

This statue is made of bronze. It shows a woman with curly hair. Her dress looks like it's sticking to her body because of the wind. She has one hand stretched out, as if waving goodbye.

The woman in the statue is looking out at the sea. It's like she's watching her children disappear over the horizon. She waits for them to come back, even as the wind and sea spray from the Cantabrian Sea hit her.

How the Statue Was Made

Idea for the Monument

The idea for this statue started in 1958. This was when the first meeting of Asturian Societies happened. These societies were groups of people from Asturias who lived in other countries.

They suggested to the mayor of Gijón, Cecilio Olivier Sobera, that a monument should be built. This monument would honor the mothers of people who had left Asturias to live elsewhere. The mayor liked the idea.

Starting the Project

The City Council of Gijón and the Cuban consulate then created a special group. This group was called the Pro-Monument Commission. Its job was to make the statue happen.

The group decided to hold a competition. Artists from Spain and Latin America could send in their ideas for the sculpture.

Delays and Challenges

It took a while for the competition to start. The jury (the judges) was formed in March 1964. The competition was open until May, and the winner was supposed to be chosen in June.

Many artists sent in their designs. Almost a hundred models and sketches were shown at another meeting of Asturian Societies.

However, there were problems. The project didn't have enough money, and they weren't sure where to put the statue. Also, there were no clear rules for choosing the winner. So, the project was put on hold again.

Choosing the Artist and Location

In 1967, the project started up again. Ramón Muriedas Mazorra was chosen to create the statue. At first, they thought about putting it on Cerro de Santa Catalina, a hill that was a military area.

Muriedas showed his first ideas for the statue. But some people didn't like them. They thought the design was "too modern." They wanted the statue to look like a traditional Asturian mother, wearing a long skirt, a headscarf, a shawl, and wooden shoes called albarcas.

The project was delayed again. But in 1969, the Gijón city council decided to use its own money to finish the statue. Muriedas made a new design. They also decided to put the statue in a place called El Rinconín, near the Rosario Acuña area. This was because Cerro de Santa Catalina was still a military zone.

Statue's Opening Day

The statue was officially opened on September 18, 1970. This happened during the 5th World Congress of Asturian Societies.

A simple base was made for the statue in El Rinconín. It was meant to be a temporary spot. The base had a simple message carved into it:

Many important people were there for the opening. This included the mayor of Gijón and other officials. The mayor said that the statue's location was temporary. He thought it might be moved to a place called La Providencia later.

Early Criticisms

After it was opened, many people didn't like the statue. A newspaper even wrote an article titled "A monument that is not liked." People had expected a more traditional-looking sculpture.

They thought the statue was too modern for its time. Someone even wrote, "That clown cannot depict a sacred symbol like the mothers of our emigrants to America."

Damage and Repairs

First Damage

In 1976, there was an explosion that damaged the bottom part of the statue. It was painted to cover the damage.

Later, a big storm hit the coast. The statue, already damaged, started to lean. It was in a very unstable condition.

Major Repairs

The statue was finally repaired in 1995. This happened after a citizen asked the City Council if he could buy the damaged statue.

Francisco González Macías was the person who fixed it. He rebuilt the statue's feet. He also added bigger supports and a stronger base to make sure it wouldn't fall over. He also changed the head and the left hand a little.

After this repair, the statue was put away in a warehouse. It wasn't placed back in El Rinconín until the first democratic government was elected in the early 1980s.

Between 1995 and 1996, its base was replaced. It was placed in a slightly raised small square, reached by a few steps. The old inscription was replaced with a poem called "Al son del agua" by a poet from Gijón, Alfonso Camín.

Later Restorations

From February to July 2004, the statue was fully restored again because it was damaged. Some fingers were missing from her right hand, there were cracks in her feet, and the inside structure was rusty.

In 2012, it was repaired once more. This time, it was because the middle finger of the right hand had been broken off by vandals.

See also

In Spanish: La madre del emigrante para niños