San Martín Monument

Well, we couldn’t take you to the Plaza San Martín without introducing you to the famous General himself! Look at him, proudly riding his horse, with the Republic at his feet, offering him a laurel wreath. This impressive monument honoring him was the first equestrian statue in Buenos Aires. It was built in 1862 by French sculptor Louis-Joseph Daumas. Then, around 1910, German sculptor Gustav Eberlein added the red granite base, the statue of Mars, the Roman god of war, at the front, and the four allegorical bronze sculptures. These symbolize key moments in San Martín’s fight for independence: ‘Leaving for War,’ ‘The Battle,’ ‘The Victory,’ and ‘The Return of the Victor’. As you know, San Martín is a true hero of the Argentine War of Independence. He liberated not only Argentina but also Peru and Chile. He’s not called ‘Liberator’ for nothing! But before he was a General, he was simply José. He was born to Spanish parents in what would later become Argentina. He followed his family back to Spain some years later and led a successful military career. When Napoleon invaded Spain, he joined the army to defend the country. Meanwhile, back home in Argentina, the May Revolution was underway. You see, the people seized the opportunity to break free from the weakened Spanish rule. Pro-independence ideas made their way to the other side of the Atlantic, and reached the ears of our very own José San Martín, who hurried back to Buenos Aires. I’m not going to go over the entire War of Independence, but you should keep in mind that things weren’t looking good for the rebels at first. With Napoleon was exiled to Elba Island, King Ferdinand VII returned to Madrid and immediately revoked the Spanish Constitution, which had been established during the War of Independence. The Inquisition tribunal was re-established, and the King was ready to send his best troops to crush the rebellion in South America. But with all fronts seemingly blocked, General San Martín had a stroke of genius and founded the Army of the Andes. His plan was simple: cross the Andes mountain range to take Lima by sea and attack the royalist stronghold in Upper Peru. Piece of cake, right? We’re talking thousands of men and mules carrying heavy artillery at an altitude of 3,000 metres. But as history has taught us time and again, hard work pays off. San Martín truly paved the way to victory. So here’s your chance to pay your respects to the man who’s made Argentina a free country in its own right. Funnily enough, on his return to Buenos Aires, the General was accused of conspiracy. He went into exile in Brussels, then Paris, and he died in Boulogne-sur-Mer on August 17, 1850, without ever receiving his war pension.