Monument to Agustina de Aragón (Zaragoza)

Agustina Zaragoza and the Heroines
Agustina Zaragoza y las Heroínas
Map
41°39′20″N 0°53′33″W / 41.655553°N 0.892405°W / 41.655553; -0.892405
LocationZaragoza, Spain
DesignerMariano Benlliure
MaterialBronze, stone
Opening date29 October 1908
Dedicated toAgustina de Aragón, Mother Rafols, Countess of Bureta, Josefa Amar Borbón, Manuela Sancho, Casta Álvarez and María Agustín

Agustina Zaragoza y las Heroínas or the Monument to Agustina de Aragón is an instance of public art in Zaragoza, Spain. Designed by Mariano Benlliure, it consists of a bronze statue of Agustina de Aragón topping off a stone pedestal that displays two other sculptural groups and a number of reliefs. The latter subsidiarily pay homage to another six heroines of the Zaragozan theatre of the Peninsular War.

History and description

Photograph of the monument published in Blanco y Negro on 7 November 1908 to account for the inauguration

Predated by earlier initiatives to erect a monument to Agustina de Aragón tracing back in time at least to 1901, the committee that managed the project awarded the design to Mariano Benlliure in 1907.[1]

Cast in bronze at Cescati's foundry in Barcelona,[2] the dashing figure of Agustina de Aragón topping off the monument—reportedly inspired in real-life Lucrecia Arana—[3] is depicted wearing an artillery open front jacket with an epaulette and a shoulder pad,[4][5] while stepping on a cannon.[6]

The front side of the white stone pedestal displays the bronze baturro (Aragonese peasant type) in attitude of crowning the name of "agustina zaragoza" in bronze letters on the pedestal with a laurel wreath,[6] while carrying a guitar on his back.[7] The back side of the pedestal features a bronze sculptural group with a Spanish lion (Zaragoza) pawing at an eagle (an allegory of the First French Empire),[6][5] and an inscription reading "2 de julio de 1808" ("2 July 1808").[7]

Both the lion and eagle and the baturro were cast too at Cescati's foundry in Barcelona.[2] The bronze was provided by the Ministry of War.[8]

The front side also presents a relief illustrating the feat of Agustina de Aragón using the cannon. Meanwhile, the flanks of the pedestal display bronze reliefs paying homage to the heroines of Zaragoza.[6]

The monument was unveiled on 29 October 1908 at its location in the plaza del Portillo, during a ceremony attended by Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenie; Antonio Maura (Prime Minister) and Florencio Jardiel (Dean of the Cathedral of Zaragoza) intervened as speakers.[9]

  • Closer look of Agustina de Aragón
    Closer look of Agustina de Aragón
  • The lion attacking the eagle
    The lion attacking the eagle
  • The baturro
    The baturro

References

Citations
  1. ^ Rincón García 2013, p. 76.
  2. ^ a b "Cronica". Ilustració Catalana. VI (281): 689–690. 18 October 1908.
  3. ^ Reyero 2013, p. 101.
  4. ^ García Guatas 2003, p. 213.
  5. ^ a b "Inauguración del monumento á Agustina de Aragón". La Época. 29 October 1908.
  6. ^ a b c d Figuera 1908, p. 360.
  7. ^ a b Rincón García 2013, p. 79.
  8. ^ Rincón García 2013, pp. 77–79.
  9. ^ "Los monumentos inaugurados en Zaragoza". Nuevo Mundo. XV (774). 5 November 1908. ISSN 1699-8677.
Bibliography
  • Figuera, Luis de la (December 1908). "Centenario de los sitios de Zaragoza". Arquitectura y Construcción. Barcelona: 356–360. ISSN 1887-5351.
  • García Guatas, Manuel (2003). "Las efemérides de 1808 en sus monumentos" (PDF). In Lacarra Ducay, María del Carmen; Giménez Navarro, Cristina (eds.). Historia y política a través de la escultura pública 1820-1920. Zaragoza: Institución Fernando el Católico. pp. 199–233. ISBN 84-7820-686-8.
  • Rincón García, Wifredo (2013). "Escultura del siglo XIX en Zaragoza. De la imagen devocional al monumento conmemorativo" (PDF). In Lacarra Ducay, María del Carmen (ed.). Arte del siglo XIX. Zaragoza: Instituto Fernando el Católico. pp. 13–80. ISBN 978-84-9911-236-7.
  • Reyero, Carlos (2013). "Benlliure monumental". Mariano Benlliure. El dominio de la materia (PDF). Madrid & Valencia: Dirección General de Patrimonio Histórico de la Comunidad de Madrid; Consorcio de Museos de la Comunitat Valenciana. pp. 91–111. ISBN 978-84-451-3458-0.
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