This was the first monument erected in memory of the Prince of Wits and also the first statue erected in the entire history of the city to a well-known person who was neither royal nor religious. The statue was created by the sculptor Antonio Solá, the reliefs on the pedestal were made by the sculptor Francisco Piquer and the general design of the pedestal and steps are attributed to the architect Isidro Velázquez. It was paid for by Manuel Fernández Valera, the General Commissioner of the Crusade, with funds from the Crusade Council. Since July 1835, it has stood in the Plaza de las Cortes, moved from the Plaza del Duque de Nájera, its initial location; a transfer that was mainly justified by its proximity to the district where he spent the final years of his life.

© Antonello Dellanotte