The undisputed protagonist of the pond in our beloved Parque del Retiro, the magnificent monument to Alfonso XII left the mark of a king who, nicknamed "the Pacifier", once again restored the monarchy in Spain after the overthrow of the First Republic and a series of political ups and downs. But the king never got to see this work that aimed to exalt his treasured figure — he would die very young after a devastating tuberculosis epidemic that also took the lives of many Spaniards at the end of the 19th century.
Essentially, this great work was commissioned through a national contest in 1902 as an initiative of the regent María Cristina of Habsburg and was paid for by popular subscription of the Spaniards. The public contest was won by the architect of the modernist Palacio de Longoria, the Catalan José Grases Riera. Unfortunately he passed away before the works could be finished, the project finally being completed in 1922 and topped off by Mariano Benlliure with the colossal equestrian statue of the King where the main lookout tower stands. This Valencian artist is one of the sculptors our eyes should be more accustomed to, since he's also the artist who made the monuments in Plaza de la Villa to Don Álvaro de Bazán, as well as the figure of Francisco de Goya in front of the Museo del Prado, and some of the ones that adorn the well-known Edificio Metrópolis.
The lack of sufficient economic resources undoubtedly affected the initial design, changing many of the planned features (like the electric elevator the architect wanted to install to climb to the lookout) and all this has meant that every so often the monument has had to be restored. For example, a very porous limestone was used instead of cast bronze in some of the statues, and this — combined with the vegetation around it and the moisture caused by the pond — heavily damages the appearance of some areas of this great work.
There's record that the lookout was meant to host a small museum in honor of the figure being commemorated, with engravings and drawings of his life and reign, with free entry for all audiences. However, only a few privileged people have been able to climb this vigorous monument since it has been closed on numerous occasions for long stretches of time for its deep and infinite restorations.
What can we see from up there? That door that was kept locked for so many years opens onto a great 22-meter-high tower with a very narrow staircase rising from inside that brings us close to one of the best 360º views of the capital. At last we can see Madrid's green lung shining from on high with its boat dock, paths and grove; Madrid's Gran Vía and its bustle; part of the Salamanca district and the central Barrio de las Letras, as well as the great Torres de Colón or the iconic Telefónica building.
It was finally opened to the public on April 25, and right now all guided visit tickets that have been added through August are sold out. They expect to add more visits after the summer thanks to the booming demand. The monument will receive, according to figures given by the Madrid City Council, around 800 visits maximum per year.
We don't know how long it will be open, so you'll have to run for a ticket to make sure you don't miss out on this wonderful and exclusive visit to a brand-new panoramic view of Madrid.
We also invite you to dive into the stories hidden in the streets surrounding Parque del Retiro with our route "The Madrid of the Bourbons", which ends at the Puerta de Alcalá every Saturday at 13:00. Don't miss it!
