Alamo Cenotaph
Alamo Cenotaph, also known as Spirit of Sacrifice, is a monument in the historic Alamo Plaza district of San Antonio, Texas, in the United States. It commemorates the siege of the Alamo, fought at the nearby Alamo mission. The monument was erected for the centennial of the battle and bears the names of those known to have fought on the Texan side. The principal sculptor of the cenotaph was an Italian-born sculptor who became a naturalized American citizen. Its base carries an inscription honoring the heroes who sacrificed their lives at the Alamo on March 6, 1836, in the defense of Texas.
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Identification | |
| Title | Alamo Cenotaph |
| Original-language names | Le Cénotaphe d'Alamo; El cenotafio de El Álamo |
| Alternative name | Spirit of Sacrifice |
| Type | monument; cenotaph |
Historical context | |
| Commemorated event | Battle of the Alamo |
| Related historical context | Texas Revolution |
| Battle date | February 23 to March 6, 1836 |
| Centennial purpose | Erected for the centennial of the Battle of the Alamo |
Creator | |
| Sculptor | Pompeo Luigi Coppini |
| Sculptor nationality | Italian |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Ownership transfer | Transferred from the City of San Antonio to the State of Texas in May 2024 |
| Dedication ceremony | Dedicated by San Antonio mayor Maury Maverick |
| Dedication date | November 11, 1940 |
| Planning history | Plans for Alamo monuments dated to the late 1800s |
| Previous related monument | A previous monument in Austin was lost in a Capitol fire |
| Funding | State of Texas provided $100,000 |
| Commissioned during | 1936 Texas Centennial celebration |
Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 60 feet high; base 40 feet long and 12 feet wide |
Materials | |
| Primary materials | grey Georgia marble and pink Texas granite |
| Repair materials | brick infill; marble stones |
Appearance | |
| Named subjects | People known to have fought on the Texan side |
| Depicts | Images of the Alamo garrison leaders |
| Inscribed names | 187 names of known Alamo defenders, based on research by Amelia Williams |
| Symbolic imagery | A flag of Mexico with the numerals "1824" superimposed |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Rallying cry | Remember the Alamo |
| Interpretive significance | The defenders are presented as fighting for their rights to democratic government under the Mexican Constitution of 1824 |
| Inscription date reference | March 6, 1836 |
| Meaning | Memorializes the defenders of the Alamo as martyrs to Texas independence and presents their sacrifice as contributing to the founding of Texas |
| Inscription | "Erected in memory of the heroes who sacrificed their lives at the Alamo, March 6, 1836, in the defense of Texas. They chose never to surrender nor retreat; these brave hearts, with flag still proudly waving, perished in the flames of immortality that their high sacrifice might lead to the founding of this Texas." |
| Inscription language | English |
Location and ownership | |
| Location | Alamo Plaza historic district, San Antonio, Texas, United States |
| Associated site | The Alamo Mission of San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) |
| Battle location | The adjacent Alamo Mission |
History and restoration | |
| Rededication hosts | Texas officials; Texas General Land Office and Alamo Trust |
| Vandalism messages | "white supremacy"; "profits over people"; "the Alamo itself" |
| Vandalism | During the George Floyd protests, it was vandalized with red spray paint |
| Rededication participants | Texas Land Commissioner Dr. Dawn Buckingham and Alamo Trust President Hope Andrade |
| Original dedication anniversary marked | 85 years since the original dedication |
| Rededication date | Veterans Day 2025 |
| Live camera | The Alamo Trust provided a live cam during renovations |
| Renovation project | A $450 million renovation of the Alamo in partnership with the City of San Antonio |
| Repairs | Drainage system fixed; deteriorating brick infill replaced; shifted marble stones secured |
| Condition | Survey found it needed a new foundation; rainwater caused cracks and it was at risk of breaking apart |
Other | |
| Associated people | Santa Anna; Sam Houston; William Barrett Travis; James Bowie; Davy Crockett; Juan Seguín |
| Associated groups | Texian forces; Anglo and Hispanic Texans; Hispanic Texan volunteers; the Mexican army |
| Historical notes | During the siege, the Texas Congress declared an independent Republic of Texas; the defenders were overwhelmed when the third Mexican attack breached the weak north wall, and some were reportedly captured and executed on Santa Anna's orders |
| Ozzy Osbourne incident | In 1982, Ozzy Osbourne drunkenly urinated on the Alamo Cenotaph while wearing his future wife's dress because she had hidden his clothes; he was arrested, banned from performing in San Antonio for a decade, later apologized, and donated $10,000 to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas |
| Ozzy Osbourne tribute | The Alamo social media accounts paid tribute to Osbourne after his death in 2025 |
| Museum plan | A planned new museum was to focus on the role slavery and Tejanos played in the Alamo’s history and in the Texas war for independence from Mexico |
Significance | |
| First monument | The first Alamo monument erected in San Antonio |
| Related commemorative note | There had been previous plans for Alamo monuments starting in the late 1800s |
| Public controversy | A 2020 proposal to move the monument was criticized by Dan Patrick, denounced by Republican state lawmakers, opposed by 97% of Republican voters in a primary ballot proposition, and defeated by the Texas Historical Commission |
| 2021 decision | The San Antonio city council adopted a resolution to proceed with modified renovations that would leave the Cenotaph in place |