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Monument to Isabella of Castile

Monument to Isabella of Castile is a bronze sculptural ensemble by Spanish sculptor Manuel Oms, located in the gardens by the entrance to the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid. It features an equestrian statue of Queen Isabella I of Castile surrounded by figures of Pedro González de Mendoza and Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba. The bronze statue was cast at the Nelli foundry in Rome and was shown there before being moved to Madrid. The monument was officially unveiled by the Madrid City Council on 30 November 1883. Its pedestal bears the coat of arms of Madrid and those of the Catholic Monarchs, together with an inscription praising Isabella’s reign, which was later criticized by Pedro de Madrazo for historical inaccuracy.

Monument to Isabella of Castile showing a bronze equestrian statue on an ornate marble pedestal in a shallow pool.
The Monument to Isabella of Castile features a bronze equestrian statue atop a tall marble pedestal in Madrid.
January 2006 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Monument to Isabella of Castile, a dark bronze equestrian statue of a crowned woman holding a cross-topped staff beside a soldier figure.
Monument to Isabella of Castile, showing the crowned queen on horseback with a soldier figure beside her.
October 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Monument to Isabella of Castile with a crowned woman on horseback and a bearded man beside the horse against a blue sky.
Detail of the Monument to Isabella of Castile showing the equestrian queen and a standing figure beside the horse.
May 2006 © · CC BY 2.0
Crowd gathered around the Monument to Isabella of Castile during a public ceremony, with an equestrian statue on a tall pedestal and flags nearby.
Public ceremony at the Monument to Isabella of Castile, with the equestrian statue and surrounding crowd visible.
© · Public domain
Monument to Isabella of Castile rising in the center of a large circular plaza in an urban plan illustration.
The Monument to Isabella of Castile appears at the center of a planned circular plaza in this urban illustration.
July 1915 © Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain

Identification

TitleMonument to Isabella the Catholic

Historical context

Date1883
Related eventGonzalo Fernández de Córdoba played an important military role in the War of Granada

Creator

ArtistManuel Oms
ModelerManuel Oms

Discovery and provenance

Initial displayExhibited in Rome before transfer to Madrid
Cast inNelli foundry, Rome

Location and ownership

Original locationMadrid
Current locationBoundary with Paseo de la Castellana in the gardens of the National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, Spain
Former locationA location near the Paseo de la Castellana in the gardens at the entrance to the National Museum of Natural Sciences
SurroundingsSurrounded by a fence and a sinuous-shaped pond with four fountains

Physical characteristics

TypeBronze sculptural ensemble
Number of figuresThree
BaseBronze base on a square-plan podium with finished corners
Pedestal styleNeo-Mudejar

Materials

MaterialBronze

Appearance

Pedestal decorationCoats of arms of Madrid, the Catholic Monarchs, and the four kingdoms of Castile, León, Aragon, and Granada
Inscription"To Isabella the Catholic, under whose glorious reign national unity and the discovery of the Americas took place. The People of Madrid. 1883."
Associated figuresPedro González de Mendoza, in a cassock holding the Book of the Gospels; Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, armed with an unsheathed sword
Main figureEquestrian statue of Isabella I of Castile, shown in armor with a royal crown and mantle, holding a scepter and the horse's reins

Iconography and meaning

Other figuresFray Hernando de Talavera, Isabella's confessor, holding a book; Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, the Great Captain, holding a sword
Central figureIsabella the Catholic mounted sideways on horseback and holding aloft a processional cross

History and restoration

Official inauguration30 November 1883
Inaugurated byAlfonso XII
Other attendees at inaugurationThe rest of the royal family and Prince Frederick of Germany (later Emperor Frederick III)
Relocated in1958
Reason for relocationTraffic-related concerns
Inscription criticismPedro de Madrazo criticized the inscription in 1883 as lacking historical rigour, noting that national unity postdated Isabella's death in 1504, that Aragon remained formally independent until 1516, and that Navarre was annexed to Castile in 1515

Significance

Historical interpretationNotable example of Spanish nationalism in Madrid public art during the Bourbon Restoration
InterpretationRead as a visual representation of a woman guided by male figures