El Monumento a Cristóbal Colón - Christopher Columbus Monument at Placa Portal de la Pau, Barcelona

It is also known as the Mirador de Colom.  In Spanish his name is Cristobal or Christobal Colon and in Catalan he is Colom.

 Click here for photos of El Monumento a Cristóbal Colón

Built in 1888, this 57m tall monument commerates the discovery of America. There is a small lift inside the monument and it's possible to go up to a small view balcony to enjoy the views. 

The history of Christopher Columbus is that he set sail from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, landing in the "new world" of the Americas and gaining lasting fame.

Financed by Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille, Columbus sailed west in search of a sea passage to India.

His mission was twofold: open trade routes for exploitation and bring the word of Jesus Christ to the uninitiated. He sailed with three ships (the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria) in 1492 and made landfall somewhere in the Bahamas. He returned to Europe to spread the word, and was named "Admiral of the Ocean Seas" by Ferdinand and Isabella.

He made three more voyages in the following years, always believing that he had reached Asia, and his success opened the door for Spain to conquer the Americas. 

Columbus is also known as Cristobal or Christobal Colon (in Spanish) and Cristoforo Colombo (in Italian)... America is named for Amerigo Vespucci, who explored what is now South America a few years after Columbus's initial voyage.


The second Monday in October is celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States.