John the Baptist Monument

John the Baptist Monument
Monumento a San Juan Bautista
The monument in June, 2008
Map
9°20′53″N 70°27′50″W / 9.34806°N 70.46389°W / 9.34806; -70.46389
LocationSan Juan de los Morros, Guárico, Venezuela
Typestatue
MaterialConcrete
Height19.8 m (62.3ft)
Beginning date1933
Completion date1935
Opening dateDecember 21, 1935

The John the Baptist Monument is a 19.8-meter (62.3 ft) concrete statue in downtown San Juan de los Morros, Guárico state, Venezuela, erected in honor of John the Baptist.[1] Commonly called San Juanote, it's one of the highest statues in Venezuela. It was built by the command of Venezuelan dictator Juan Vicente Gómez in 1933 as a present to the city when it was declared the capital of Guárico State. The monument was carved in the hills of Calabozo and moved to San Juan in 1935.[2]

San Juan de los Morros and its monument to the Baptist are located in a large geographical area which contact the foothills of the central Venezuelan Coastal Range and lowlands region of the Venezuelan Llanos.[3]

Sanjuanote sits atop the El Calvario hill, a small promontory in the center of the city. The statue is surrounded by concrete lions and old cannons that serve as gatekeepers in a symbolic protective attitude around the monument.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Allers Kamen-Kaye, Dorothy (1947). Speaking of Venezuela. Caracas Journal. p. 151.
  2. ^ a b Loreto, Luis (2005). Entre gigantes de piedra. Equinoccio. pp. 11–12, 17 & 116. ISBN 980-237-235-8.
  3. ^ Nazoa, Aquiles; Kees Verkaik (1971). Venezuela suya. Corporación Nacional de Turismo. p. 136.
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