San Martín Monument, Neuquén

General San Martín Monument

Monumento al General San Martín
Coordinates	39°57′07.0″S 68°03′32.9″W / 39.951944°S 68.059139°W
Location	Neuquén, Argentina
Designer	José Antonio Alonso
Beginning date	1953
Completion date	September 1954
Opening date	September 12, 1954
Dedicated to	José de San Martín

The General San Martín Monument (Spanish: Monumento al General San Martín), located in the city center of Neuquén, Argentina, is a memorial built to commemorate Argentinian general José de San Martín. The monument is constituted by a bronx-made equestrian statue of San Martín, mounted on a pedestal.

After a statue of San Martín was commissioned by Argentina to be placed in the city of Buenos Aires, several provinces of the country requested replicas to be placed on their capital cities. In 1950, the city of Neuquén created a commission to erect the city's monument. The commission resolved to locate the statue on the city center, and hired an Italian company to build the pedestal.

The monument was inaugurated on the city's 50th anniversary, September 12, 1954. In 2014, after repeated acts of vandalism, the structure of the monument was reformed. A waterfall was added to the four sides of the pedestal with a fountain on the bottom to prevent the memorial be painted.

Background

In 1859, Chile commissioned for Santiago a statue to commemorate José de San Martín to French sculptor Louis-Joseph Daumas, who was specialized in equestrian figures. After becoming aware of the Chilean initiative, the Argentinian government commissioned the same year another statue to Daumas. It was placed on the current Plaza San Martín, in Buenos Aires, and was inaugurated in 1862. Upon the request of different provinces, several replicas of the monument were built and sent from Buenos Aires.^[1]

Construction

Before 1953, the foundational pyramid occupied the current location of the monument

Inauguration of the monument, 1954

In 1950, the city of Neuquén created the Executive Commission for Homages to General San Martin (Spanish: Comisión Ejecutiva de Homenajes al Libertador General San Martín) to erect a monument. Throughout July, the commission surveyed the possible locations in town.^[1] The commission suggested to place the monument on the grounds of the "Chateau Gris", the town hall building that was demolished on that year.^[2] In 1953 the commission settled to locate it on the roundabout of the intersections of Eva Perón Avenue (currently named Argentina Avenue) between Presidente Roca and Ministro Gonzáles streets. Selected for its location on the center of the city, at the time the roundabout hosted another monument, the Foundational Pyramid. The pyramid was moved to the former grounds of the old town hall.^[2] The construction works started soon after to inaugurate the San Martín Monument on September 12, 1954, the city's 50th anniversary.^[3]

The replica statue was sent from Buenos Aires via the Great Southern Railway (Spanish: Ferrocarril del Sur). The body of the bronx statue was built hollow, while the tail of the horse was filled to offset the weight of the structure.^[4] The base of the monument was built by the Italian company Falcone S.R.L, under the direction of hydraulics and civil engineer José Antonio Alonso. Alonso also completed the move of the Foundational Pyramid.^[5] The base was covered with white limestone brought from Zapala.^[6]

For its inauguration on September 12, 1954, the base of the monument was covered with Argentinian flags, since the works on the limestone were not finished and the internal bricks were visible.^[1] The ceremony started after midday, with the attendance of 15,000 citizens.^[2] The monument was rounded on a square formation by territorial authorities, members of the National Gendarmerie and the Armed Forces, and school students.^[7] It was blessed by Alfonso Butteler, Bishop of Neuquén-Mendoza. Following speeches from local authorities and a member of the commission, a military parade was organized.^[3] On the days that followed Falcone S.R.L completed the covering of the base, and removed the flags.^[1]

Reforms

In 2009, the San Martinian Society requested to fence the monument after it was repeatedly vandalized.^[4] The request was dismissed by the city council, that considered that it would affect the aesthetics of the monument.^[8] In 2012, the municipal government of Neuquén made renewals on the monument. The Public Buildings and Transit Secretariat replaced the quicklime tiles of the roundabout for porphyr ones, that formed a sun-and-star shape. The National University of Comahue was in charge of the new illumination of the monument. On each of the twelve pointers of the star, metal cilynders were built to house lights that pointed toward the pedestal. Additional reflectors were placed on the top of the base to illuminate the statue.^[9]

On April 2013, after further vandalism, mayor Horacio Quiroga announced further reforms to the monument.^[10] The original cover limestone, affected by years of being painted and cleaned, was replaced by two layers of granite. The inner layer, was composed of natural granite, while the external was covered with flamed granite to avoid paint adhesion.^[11] Water pipes were built in the interior to produce a waterfall effect on the four sides of the pedestal, and a fountain on the base to recirculate the water. All the lights on the monument were replaced by LED lightning.^[10] The commemorative plaques were restored and placed under the waterfalls.^[12] The works started in February 2014, with an estimated cost of ARS1,7 million.^[13] The renewals were performed by the company H.G. Construcciones S.A, and finished in July 2014. The reinauguration of the monument was scheduled for August 17, 2014, the anniversary of San martin's death.^[11]

Local culture

Due to its location on the city center, the monument is regarded by the inhabitants of Neuquén as a meeting point.^[14] The location is often used for concentrations during demonstrations, parades and cultural events; including celebrations for the victories of Argentina's national football team, ^[15] the "18A" cacerolazo,^[16] and pride parades.^[17]

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Argentinian return to democracy, plastic artist Amalia Pica painted the horse with white chalk, following the traditional depiction of San Martín mounting a white horse. Oscar Smoljan, director of Neuquén's branch of the Fine Arts Museum (Spanish: Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes), stated that the intervention intended to "debate the criteria (that Argentinians) have of their heroes".^[18]

Gallery

• 

  Beginning of the construction works, 1953

• 

  Scaffolding on top of the monument, 1954

• 

  The monument soon after the inauguration, 1954

• 

  Postcard featuring the monument, 1955

• 

  Closeup of the statue with the new town hall under construction on the background, mid-1960s

• 

  Commemoration of José de San Martín's death, 1976

Footnotes

1. Cippitelli, Mario 2013.
2. Rio Negro staff 2010.
3. Chavez, Victoria 2009.
4. Chávez, Beatriz 2009.
5. Chavez, Victoria 2 2009.
6. Turismo Neuquen staff 2012.
7. San Martinian institute 1954, p. 89.
8. LM Neuquén staff 2014.
9. Maduri, Miguel 2012.
10. Rio Negro staff 2014.
11. Minuto Neuquén staff 2014.
12. Rio Negro staff 2 2014.
13. Diariamente Neuquén staff 2014.
14. LM Neuquén staff 2 2014.
15. Rio Negro staff 3 2014.
16. La Nación staff 2013.
17. La Angostura Digital 2010.
18. Lara, Horacio; Mendiberri, María Pía 2013.

References

• Chávez, Beatriz (2009). "Monumento Testigo de La Historia Neuquina" [Monument Witness of Neuquinian History]. Rio Negro (in Spanish) (Editorial Rio Negro S.A). Retrieved August 8, 2014.
• Chavez, Victoria (2009). "La construcción del monumento a San Martín" [The Construction of San Martin's Monument]. LM Neuquén (in Spanish) (Diario La Mañana de Neuquén). Retrieved August 8, 2014.
• Chavez, Victoria 2 (2009). "Un hombre que contribuyó al crecimiento capitalino" [A man that contributed to the capital's growth]. LM Neuquén (in Spanish) (Diario La Mañana de Neuquén). Retrieved August 8, 2014.
• Cippitelli, Mario (2013). "El soldado fotógrafo y aquel monumento" [The photographer soldier and that monument]. LM Neuquén (in Spanish) (Diario La Mañana de Neuquén). Retrieved August 8, 2014.
• Diariamente Neuquén staff (2014). "Comienzan trabajos para cambiar el monumento a San Martín" [Works begin to change San Martín's monument]. Diariamente Neuquen (in Spanish) (El Abrelatas S.R.L). Retrieved August 8, 2014.
• Lara, Horacio; Mendiberri, María Pía (2013). "Pintan el monumento a San Martín en pleno centro neuquino esta madrugada" [City center's San Martin monument painted on the early hours of the morning]. Rio Negro (in Spanish) (Editorial Rio Negro S.A).
• La Angostura Digital (2010). "Organizan en Neuquén la primera marcha del orgullo Gay" [The first Gay pride parade is organized in Neuquén]. La Angostura Digital (in Spanish) (La Angostura Digital.com.ar).
• La Nación staff (2013). "Los puntos de encuentro para el cacerolazo del 18A" [The meeting points for the 18A cacerolazo]. La Nación (in Spanish) (Grupo de Diarios América).
• LM Neuquén staff (2014). "El monumento al general San Martín será protegido por una cortina de agua" [General San Martín's monument will be protected by a water courtain]. LM Neuquén (in Spanish) (Diario La Mañana de Neuquén). Retrieved August 11, 2014.
• LM Neuquén staff 2 (2014). "Cortina de agua para el monumento" [Water curtain for the monument]. LM Neuquén (in Spanish) (Diario La Mañana Neuquén).
• Maduri, Miguel (2012). "Puesta en valor del monumento de San Martín en Neuquén Capital" [Renewals o San Martín's monument in Neuquén]. Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Nacional del Comahue (in Spanish). Editores S.R.L.
• Minuto Neuquén staff (2014). "El monumento al General San Martín, casi listo". Minuto Neuquén.com.ar (in Spanish) (Minuto Neuquén). Retrieved August 11, 2014.
• Rio Negro staff (2010). "Del Chateaux Gris al monumento" [From the Chateaux Gris to the monument]. Rio Negro (in Spanish) (Editorial Rio Negro S.A). Retrieved August 8, 2014.
• Rio Negro staff (2014). "Cortina de agua a monumento para evitar pintadas" [Water curtain for the monument to avoid paintings]. Rio Negro (in Spanish) (Editorial Rio Negro S.A). Retrieved August 8, 2014.
• Rio Negro staff 2 (2014). "Así arrancó la obra de remodelación del monumento en Neuquén" [Like this started the remodelation works of Neuquén's monument]. Rio Negro (in Spanish) (Editorial Rio Negro S.A). Retrieved August 11, 2014.
• Rio Negro staff 3 (2014). "Rio Negro y Neuquén también festejaron el triunfo de la seleccion" [Rio Negro and Neuquén also celebrated the victory of the national team]. Rio Negro (in Spanish) (Editorial Rio Negro S.A).
• San Martinian institute (1954). San Martín: Revista del Instituto Nacional Sanmartiniano (in Spanish) (Instituto Nacional Sanmartiniano) (32-36). Missing or empty |title= (help)
• Turismo Neuquen staff (2012). "Circuito Historico-Cultural". Turismo Neuquén (in Spanish). Municipalidad de Nequén. Retrieved August 8, 2014.