Alfonso XII Monument in Retiro Park

The equestrian statue of Alfonso XII, surrounded by a colonnade, is the central architectural composition of the Buen Retiro Park. Buen Retiro Park (or El Retiro) is a favorite holiday destination for the residents of Madrid, one of the symbols of the capital and a cultural heritage site of Spain. The park is a huge territory with a lake, buildings dating from the XVII-XIX centuries, fountains, sculptures, green alleys, playgrounds and cafes.

The author of the monument is José Graces Riera, who won the national competition for the creation of a monument to King Alfonso XII, which was announced at the initiative of the Queen Mother. Alfonso XII, who for his tact and peacefulness in domestic politics was called the Peacemaker, was king of Spain from 1874.

The monument, covered by a semicircular colonnade, rises on a pedestal above the lake. The memorial is surrounded by sculptures representing freedom, peace, homeland, army and navy. The complex has an impressive size: 86 meters long and 58 meters wide. More than twenty famous sculptors participated in the work on the composition.