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I was not aware of this, but apparently the statue of Pope John Paul 2 at Monte de Gozo has been removed. The plan was to renovate but it - according to this article - it will not return. This will also mean there will be a clearer view from the hill towards the city of Santiago.
Retiran la escultura del papa en el Monte do Gozo para habilitar un espacio verde en su lugar
Las cuatro chapas conmemorativas se mantendrán en su sitiowww.lavozdegalicia.es
Please clarify. ...
Does this mean that that dreadful pyramid has been removed?! Or does it refer to some other monument?
It was not a statue of Pope Saint John Paul II -- it was a piece of weird abstract 1990s "stuff" that looked dated and out of place even when it was new.it is not actually common for a statue of the pope to be demolished
It was not a statue of Pope Saint John Paul II -- it was a piece of weird abstract 1990s "stuff" that looked dated and out of place even when it was new.
I was not aware of this, but apparently the statue of Pope John Paul 2 at Monte de Gozo has been removed. The plan was to renovate but it - according to this article - it will not return. This will also mean there will be a clearer view from the hill towards the city of Santiago.
Retiran la escultura del papa en el Monte do Gozo para habilitar un espacio verde en su lugar
Las cuatro chapas conmemorativas se mantendrán en su sitiowww.lavozdegalicia.es
I rather liked seeing the monument and thought it quite "unusual".I hope they can place something else there that will mark the spot where the ending of a journey is in sight.
Not from this monument. From the other one, the one with the two pilgrims in traditional outfits.rumor had it I would be able to see the spires of the Cathedral (I never did make them out).
I missed this monument my first time walking to Santiago as I'd not heard of it prior and is not easily seen unless looking for it...I much prefer it to the pyramid.There is a perfectly appropriate monument to pilgrims, to the Santiago pilgrimage and to the moment pilgrims saw the Cathedral towers for the first time close by, with two giant bronze statues pointing their fingers towards Santiago.
Wasn't much better, frankly, even in 1993, which was when I first came across the "thing" ...In July 2019 the monument was in really bad shape.
The four large bronze plaques will remain in their location on Monte de Gozo, as mentioned in the article. What's gone is the block made of concrete, the rusted decoration that looks like a figure of 66, the rusted square table on top of it, and the proportionally very small decoration on top of that.Yet I found it important that the Pope had visited the site. So I am a bit sad his statue was removed.
It was not a statue of Pope Saint John Paul II -- it was a piece of weird abstract 1990s "stuff" that looked dated and out of place even when it was new.
Could this thread be renamed to reflect the fact that it wasn't a sculpture of the Pope that was removed, but a sculpture that commemorated the visit of Pope John Paul II to Santiago?this monument to a speech that Pope John Paul II gave during the World Youth Day in 1989
The four large bronze plaques will remain in their location on Monte de Gozo, as mentioned in the article.
Two of the bronze plaques refer to Pope John Paul II in Santiago (once with the Cathedral and the other time hugging the apostle statue), one to Francis of Assisi, and the fourth one shows a giant hand, I guess, probably a reference to the ways to Santiago.
Could this thread be renamed to reflect the fact that it wasn't a sculpture of the Pope that was removed, but a sculpture that commemorated the visit of Pope John Paul II to Santiago?
I had to ask around and search for the old, beautiful and much more relevant statue of the two pilgrims pointing to the spires of the Cathedral. Even the Camino arrows took you to the Pope monument and skirted the old pilgrims statue. I thought that was terrible.
Thanks for the info! That changes my perspective a little.Not wanting to be smart, but the pilgrim statues are not old, but were placed there in 1993.
This of course does not take anything away from your experience.
I find it interesting though how monuments on the camino can be meaningful for some, while at the same time there is a desire "to preserve things as they were" (which always makes me wonder which point in history one wants to preserve)
Just let me quote Cees Nooteboom describing his visit to Monte de Gozo in Roads to Santiago, before the camino revival: There is no one to be seen on that high mound, nothing at all, a some what bare field, a closed chapel, a few boulders.
And then getting to the heart of it (I think): Some place do that to you, they have a certain magic whereby you find yourself partaking in the thoughts of others, unknown people, people who existed in a world that can never be yours.
I wonder if he would have the same realisation if he were to visit Monte de Gozo today.
A few people here have pointed out that all opinions are subjective, but I don't think one post has had a good word to say about it. When everybody says that the monument was ugly, dreadful, dated, out of place, stark and strange-looking, does it cease to be subjective?
When everybody says that the monument was ugly, dreadful, dated, out of place, stark and strange-looking, does it cease to be subjective?
That's not true for me either. My post #27 gives no negative opinion about the monument.No. It will stay subjective. IMO
For me it might be strange looking but not dreadful at all.
Monte Do Gozo is, and should remain, the place from where pilgrims first see the Cathedral. I assume the pilgrims' statue was placed in the traditional stopping place. Or did they destroy the original viewing point to create the infrastructure for the Pope's visit?
I must say, though, that my feelings in this case are not to "preserve things as they were", but to keep the right spirit of the place. (And to take away something frankly ugly.)
The dreadful pyramid.
Agree. In the Alto del Perdón a nicer momunent and in stone, would have been more apropiatedAs far as I am aware (but others may correct me) in the past the cathedral was visible from the Monte de Gozo (where the monument is) but this is no longer so because of eucalyptus forests and suburban skylines obstructing the view. So I don't think they destroyed the original viewpoint in order to make way for the momument.
My comment about 'preserving things as they were' was not particularly directed to you. In fact I am known for wanting to "preserve things as they were"- I am a sentimental guy.... And I am also all for keeping the right spirit of places, which I find to be a complicated thing though.
(Personally I find the the pilgrim statues at Alto del Perdon and Monte de Gozo rather tacky, and for me they do not anything to keep the spirit of these places. But there is no right and wrong here).
It is calles Monte del Gozo (Hill of Joy, Monxoi, Freudenberg, etc) for a reason. The joy experienced in at long last watching the Cathedral's Spires (Las torres de la Catedral). Sadly, the original view was spoiled years ago with the building of high rise flats interrupting the view.As far as I am aware (but others may correct me) in the past the cathedral was visible from the Monte de Gozo (where the monument is) but this is no longer so because of eucalyptus forests and suburban skylines obstructing the view. So I don't think they destroyed the original viewpoint in order to make way for the momument.
My comment about 'preserving things as they were' was not particularly directed to you. In fact I am known for wanting to "preserve things as they were"- I am a sentimental guy.... And I am also all for keeping the right spirit of places, which I find to be a complicated thing though.
(Personally I find the the pilgrim statues at Alto del Perdon and Monte de Gozo rather tacky, and for me they do not anything to keep the spirit of these places. But there is no right and wrong here).
Was the statue actually demolished? Or will it be relocated, perhaps in a square in SdC?The pyramid. Whether it was dreadful is subjective, I guess.
Actually I wonder what the opinion of the Vatican / Catholic Church is about this, as it is not actually common for a statue of the pope to be demolished. I also wonder how this fits into the protection of the camino as a UNESCO World Heritage site, as it was arguably a landmark in recent camino history.
How I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during the Xunta meetings where this has been decided...
Marc S. has tried to explain that his first post was formulated incorrectly. There never was a statue of the Pope. There was an "installation", a monument commemorating the visit of Pope John Paul II to Santiago in 1989.Was the statue actually demolished? Or will it be relocated, perhaps in a square in SdC?
Was the statue actually demolished? Or will it be relocated, perhaps in a square in SdC?
Do you mean the figure of "66"? I have no idea, I assumed that it was just abstract art. Perhaps a trademark of this sculptor. Below is another monument by her, in Madrid, called Peace Monument. The sculptor of the erstwhile Monte do Gozo monument is a she, not a he.I'm curious about the swirling "sickles"
Lol. My bad! I’m a music major myself. You’d think that I would be more sensitive. Thanks for calling me on it!Do you mean the figure of "66"? I have no idea, I assumed that it was just abstract art. Perhaps a trademark of this sculptor. Below is another monument by her, in Madrid, called Peace Monument. The sculptor of the erstwhile Monte do Gozo monument is a she, not a he.
View attachment 102496
Lol. I was surprised myself when I saw in news articles that the artist was a woman and not a man.Lol. My bad!
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