There are so many stories and fun facts to tell about the city of A Coruña that sometimes it is difficult to narrow down where to begin telling its history. After all, this city has been growing for centuries with its people, adapting to socio-cultural changes and to new times.
However, if you are in Coruña or are planning to visit the city soon, chances are that you have heard of the Obelisk by now, a construction located in the Cantones area, right in the center of the city, and that is precisely the monument that this article talks about. Of its historical relevance for Coruña there is no doubt, but the impact it has had on the city and its population goes beyond that. We’ll tell you about it!
Its peculiar origin
When in 1893 the obelisk that today presides over the Place de la Concorde in Paris was transported from Egypt to the capital city of France, the ship in charge of the transfer made a 15-day stopover in A Coruña and the city was captivated by the spectacular monument. It was then when the idea of providing the town of A Coruña with its own obelisk appeared in the minds of Narciso Obanza and Ricardo Caruncho, who would become the minds behind the construction.
In a plenary session of the City Council, leaded by the interim mayor Evaristo Babé, it was approved that the location of this structure would be one of the most appreciated spots in the city by locals and tourists alike: the Marina.
The architect Antonio de Mesa was in charge of the architectural aspect, from the drawing of the blueprint to the signing of the final project, while the execution was in the hands of José Escudero Monteagudoen; the latter charged 1,995 pesetas (Spain’s coin back then) for his work on the Obelisk, whose construction began in 1894. The sculptural part was awarded to Gabriel Vitini.
On February 10th, 1895 was inaugurated what today is an icon of A Coruña by its own right.
The more you know
Its history is most peculiar, and there are even more fun facts that you should know.
For example, on one side of the obelisk’s base one can find the bronze bust of Aureliano Linares Rivas, former mayor of the city, to whom the monument is dedicated to.
At the top of the obelisk, a clock with four faces tells the time, while a weather vane indicates to passersby the direction of the wind. Two of these dials show the time in A Coruña, and two show the time in Madrid. Are they not the same? The truth is that this clock reflects the 19 minutes and 20 seconds of solar time difference between the two cities, something that, at the time of the construction of the obelisk, prior to the unification of time schedules between cities as a result of the arrival of the railroad, was taken into account.
The clock mechanism is accessed from the base. There you can also read recordings of geographic and meteorological data of the city.
Millenium Obelisk
It is likely that in the travel guides consulted you have seen a second obelisk in the city being mentioned, the so-called “Millennium Obelisk”. The city commissioned artist Gerardo Porto (from A Coruña) to create a celebratory piece for the millennium change. The result was a 47 meters high structure built in steel (2 tons) and covered with glass imported from the Netherlands.
In the first 13 meters counting from its base, characters and historical moments of the city have been captured, so that, when it is illuminated, you can see the history of this city represented in the monument. From the viewpoint located at its base you can see the Tower of Hercules, which guards the opposite end of the promenade.
So, in conclusion
This is how, ironically, what began as an aesthetic decision inspired by the magnificent monument of Egyptian origin, ended up becoming a representative silhouette of the city, a meeting point for many and, definitely, a pride for all the people of A Coruña.
Now that you know the history of these two constructions and the relationship between them, you also have a deeper understanding of the history of this city and how it has evolved with its people, taking references from abroad, but giving them value from a very local perspective.