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Monumento A Alfonso XII

Monumento A Alfonso XII

Monumento A Alfonso XII
4.5
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4.5
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Vadim
Murmansk, Russia35,001 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Alfonso XII, who died of tuberculosis young at 28, is considered a good monarch in Spain due to the fact that the civil wars of the XIX century stopped during his reign. Spain, exhausted by the carlist wars, was grateful to him for this, too. This monument is a symbol of appreciation in stone. The architect José Grases Riera won the competition in 1902. The statue of the king cast in bronze in 1904 waited until 1922 for the monument to be opened. 20 sculptors took part in the creation of numerous sculptures. Surprisingly, its balustraded monument resembles the famous Vittoriano complex in the center of Rome, which was built around the same time. The frontal view brings to mind Vittoriano's offensive nickname "False teeth".
Written November 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Blanka H
193 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Couples
El Retiro is big and wonderful, I really recommend having a walk there! The monument itself wasn't such a marvellous place if you ask me. I believe it needs to be seen as the main part of the park, but the lake was not clean (I visited it two times in 3 years and it was the same). I also don't understand so many boats there, it's such a small lake to investigate it by boat 🤷‍♀️
Written March 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Zezecamanel
Alcobaca, Portugal2,842 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
The Monument to Alfonso XII is in Retiro Park right on the edge of Estanque, they are the Park's two biggest attractions. The colossal column with the equestrian figure of the king at its top is surrounded by arches, columns and statues of mermaids and lions. The Lake and the Monument form a picture, a magnificent and unrepeatable image in Madrid.
Google
Written October 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pernille I
Copenhagen, Denmark6,898 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Friends
This monument reminds me of the Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome - and for good reason I think. Both also have nicknames as being monuments of embodiment of the country - in Rome it is the altar of the Fatherland; in Madrid the other name of the monument is The Homeland Personified. The period is also very close - around 1900.

The Madrid monument which overlooks the large basin of the park was built after a national competition created by the regent after the death of her husband, the king, in 1885 while she was pregnant.

The monument measured 3o meters in height; 86 meters in length and 58 meters in width. There we find the king on horseback as well as statues representing Peace, Liberty and Progress. There are lions as well as symbols of the armed forces - a monument that glorifies all that is royal!

But it still clashes a bit with this big lake in the middle of the park - maybe we would have been better off putting it in the city? Impressive, it is in any case!
Google
Written April 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amanda C
112 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Family
We spent a good few hours here . The park is lovely , it’s big and there is plenty to do . We went on a rowing boat €6 for 45 mins . Queue looks really long , but goes down really quickly . Very easy to row and the view is stunning . We had a beer and a lemon slushie from the cafe . Although there are several , all with covered seating . There’s a botanical gardens in there too …
Well worth a visit . Metro is really easy to use . Very similar to the London Underground .
Written September 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David I
Madrid, Spain4 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
One of the main focal points in the Retiro, which in itself is a must see for any visitor to Madrid. The monument is perhaps more impressive for its size than anything else, rather dwarfing the boating lake below. But it's a very pleasant spot to meet up & have a drink at one of the nearby terrace bars, especially those to the left-hand side. (towards the boat booking office)
Written March 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mairwen1
United Kingdom11,507 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
If you visit Retiro Park, don’t miss this monument which takes centre stage on the beautiful lake. It’s the loveliest part of the park and this is the biggest and most striking monument in a park that is definitely not short of monuments, sculptures and fountains.
The bronze and marble structure is over 30 metres high and is topped with a bronze statue of King Alfonso XII, in full military dress on horse-back.
It’s a full-on image of the idealised soldier-king.
He is flanked by a semi-circular colonnade and the frieze running along the top of the columns has the coats of arms of each Spanish province. Stairs down to the lake are flanked by lions and mermaids and the base is surrounded by figures symbolising Peace, Freedom and Progress, the Spanish Army and Navy, Sciences and Industry and Agriculture.
Although there are a lot of men on horseback statues throughout Madrid, there is a tragic but lovely story attached to this one. Alfonso XII was a much-loved king, who was fondly known as El Pacificador (Peacemaker) and reigned from 1874 to 1885. To be fair, this was more to do with the fact that he was male, rather than any special talents for peace-making. Spain had been through 3 civil wars in the 1800s. The Carlistas Wars had been largely caused by competing dynastic claims and the birth of a male heir meant that the Spanish throne was safe from the immediate danger so there was a lot invested in this young boy-king.
What I liked most about his story is that, although he was only 17 when he came to the throne, he went out of his way to visit the sick and homeless. Disgusted by the government neglect that he saw, he went against his Prime Minister’s advice and personally visited districts that were suffering cholera epidemics. He travelled to areas hit by the 1884 earthquakes that left thousands dying or homeless over winter. Sadly, he died early at just 27 from a persistent and virulent tuberculosis. At the time his wife was pregnant with their third child, a boy who would become Alfonso XIII.
After his death, his wife held a national contest to design a monument and their son, Alfonso XIII, laid the foundation stone and inaugurated the statue of his father. This didn't happen until 1902, during the celebrations for his Alfonso XIII’s accession. It sounds touching but in reality, it was also a highly charged political move, reinforcing the link of continuity between father and son (no small matter considering the earlier civil wars over inheritance and competing claims to power).
Today, with the sparkling lake and blue boats in front of it, the monument looks more pretty, than sombre. It is probably the prettiest part of the park.
Written December 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TheShis
Tel Aviv, Israel43,215 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
This stunning monument is the gem of Retiro park.
With the impressive pond next to it, this regal monument make a fantastic photo-op,
Written January 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

macedonboy
Glasgow, UK186,803 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Solo
This monument stands in tribute to King Alfonso XII, King of Spain from 1874 to 1885. Having ascended the throne on his mother's abdication at the age of 17. His rule was considered to have been benevolent and sympathetic to his subjects, for example visiting districts ravaged by cholera or devastated by the earthquake of 1885.

The statue stands just in front of a semi-circular colonnade and is an equestrian statue of the king, which itself is atop a 30 metre high plinth with the female figures of Peace, Freedom and Progress at the base.

A truly magnificent monument and well worth combining with a visit to Parque Retiro.
Written April 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

podrozniczka60
New Jersey16,719 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Couples
Magnificent monument complex of Alfonso XII is not to be missed if you end up in Retiro. The statue of the king on his horse was created in 1904 but the entire beautiful surrounding complex - later. The monument is located at the edge of an artificial lake and right next to it one can rent paddle boat and enjoy the lake fully. The monument itself is a place to stroll around taking lots of pictures knowing they all will look good, the monument being that photogenic!
Written July 4, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Monumento A Alfonso XII - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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