COLUMBUS MONUMENTS PAGES

Place
Palos de la Frontera (España)
Introduction

The former harbor of Palos de la Frontera

Monastery of Santa María de la Rábida

    PALOS DE LA FRONTERA
    Central square
  1. Statue of Martin Alonso Pinzón
    San Jorge Mártir
  2. Church of San Jorge Mártir
  3. Palos Crew Monument
  4. Memoral stone "A los Pinzones"
    Parque de la Fontanilla
  5. Puerto Historico (the old harbour)
  6. Travesia-5-Monument
  7. La Cruz de Coldin
  8. El Pebetero
  9. Statue of Martin and Vicente Pinzón*
    Avenida de América
  10. Avenida de América
  11. Azulejo for Pope John Paul II's visit
  12. El Salvador monument
  13. Statue of Vicente Yañez Pinzón
    Other locations
  14. Azulejo for Juan de la Cosa
  15. Ships at the entrances of the town
  16. Street signs (Colón, Pinzón, Santa Maria)

    LA RÁBIDA
  17. Convento de Santa María de la Rábida (and Muelle de las Carabelas)
  18. Monumento a los Descubridores
  19. Avenida de los Descubridores
  20. Calendario Azteca
  21. Plaza Macuro
  22. Columbus statue*
* Erected after my 2002 visit.

Palos de la Frontera: Introduction

Palos de la Frontera, a small white town on the banks of the river Tinto, the world's largest producer of strawberries, advertises itself as the "Cuna del Descubrimiento de América", the cradle of the discovery of America. It is from the harbor of this town that Christopher Columbus on 3 August 1492 sailed to the New World. The captains of the Niña and the Pinta were the brothers Martin Alonso Pinzón and Vicente Yañez Pinzón, and a large part of the crew were from Palos.
Columbus' first visited to Palos was in 1485. Traveling from Portugal to Spain he had to find board and lodging for his five-year old son Diego. Columbus made his way to the Franciscan friary of Santa María de La Rábida; near the mounth of Rio Tinto, since friaries provided food and shelter for travellers. He was interviewed by Fray Antonio de Marchena, himself interested in astronomy and cosmography. Diego stayed in the friary and Columbus got a letter of introduction for the Count of Medina Celi, who sent him to Queen Isabella. His contacts with the Queen finally resulted in the commission to find his westward way to the Indies. In 1491, and later in 1492 Columbus returned to La Rábida.

Pinzon armsEnough reason for a large number of memorials and monuments in this town. Understandable is that more attention is paid to Palos' contribution to the first voyage: the brothers Pinzón and the voyage itself are getting much more attention than Columbus, who is hardly mentioned at all (although one of the main streets of the town is names Calle Cristóbal Colón). The main square of the town has an impressive statue of Martin Alonso Pinzón, the most important of the two brothers. The brothers have even their own museum, the Casa-Museo Hermanos Pinzón (address 24, Calle Cristóbal Colón!). Above the door of this museum you the see these coat of arms. On the right there is a coast-line, and indian and three ships, a clear reference to the part the Pinzóns had in the first voyage of Columbus. The two oldest monuments are also for the Pinzóns, the memoral stone "A los Pinzones" near the church dates from 1910 and the statue of Martin Alonso Pinzón on the main square from 1945. All other monuments are related to the Vth Centenary.

It is not easy to distinguish a memorial plaque (to be seen as a memorial or monument) from an explanatory sign, since both are made here from the same kind of tiles.


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Introduction page © 2002 Peter van der Krogt