Angel of Independence
Cuauhtémoc, Mexico · built 1910
The Angel of Independence, most commonly known by the shortened name El Ángel and officially known as Monumento a la Independencia ("Monument to Independence"), is a victory column on a roundabout on the major thoroughfare of Paseo de la Reforma in downtown Mexico City. El Ángel was built in 1910 during the presidency of Porfirio Díaz by architect Antonio Rivas Mercado, to commemorate the centennial of the beginning of Mexico's War of Independence. In later years, it was made into a mausoleum for the most important heroes of that war. It is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Mexico City, and it has become a focal point for both celebration and protest. It resembles the Columbus Monument in New York City, the July Column in Paris, Nelson's Column in London, and the Victory Column in Berlin.
Monument data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).