Birth of the New World
A monument designed by a Russian artist honoring Christopher Columbus finally found a home in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. This huge bronze sculpture stands in a field that anticipates to someday become a major tourist attraction for this Northern Puerto Rican landscape.
The Christopher Columbus Monument was designed and constructed in 1991 to commemorate the 500th year of his big discovery. This huge statue has 2750 parts of bronze and steel, measures 360 feet in height and weighs more than 650 tons. It is the tallest statue in North America and the fourth tallest in the world.
Since it’s construction in 1991 it has faced many obstacles to find a home. It was first offered to be erected in New York City but was rejected by the City Commissioners and the mayor as it would detract from the much shorter Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline.
Next it was offered to Miami but they didn’t want because activists got their way, citing Columbus was a rapist and murderer. The Indians boycotted it, too. Then there was Fort Lauderdale, Columbus, Ohio and a few other places. Finally it was completed in Arecibo, Puerto Rico because the mayor thought it would be good for their economy. In September, the year after it was erected, Hurricane Maria came calling with a class 5 devastation and delayed the plans for surrounding development. The statue was unmoved by Maria. Not so lucky for everything else around it.
It appears to simply sit out there in the countryside attracting tourists and the curious. We stopped along the road and took pictures through the chained gate. Its an amazing sight to see.
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