Pantheon of Spain

Located in the cloister of the Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha, it contains the graves of 19th-century Spanish politicians and personalities. In 1992, it was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in the category of Monument. National Heritage is responsible for its management. In the autumn of 2022, the Pantheon ceased to be known as the "Pantheon of Illustrious Men" and became the Pantheon of Spain. Its current objective is to preserve the memory and legacy of the figures in the history of Spanish democracy and those who have distinguished themselves through their work in defense of democratic coexistence, peace, and human rights, as well as the advancement of science and culture. With the enactment of the Law of Democratic Memory, the Pantheon pays tribute not only to illustrious men but also to important women in our history, such as Clara Campoamor, the driving force behind women's suffrage. The Pantheon was built between 1892 and 1899 in a distinctive neo-medieval style reminiscent of Byzantine art, reflecting two of the defining trends of the late 19th century: historicist architecture and sculpture. Funeral home. Thirteen illustrious figures from Spanish political and military history rest here in tombs created by renowned sculptors. Among them are Antonio de los Ríos Rosas, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, José Canalejas, José de Palafox, Francisco Castaños, Juan Prim, and Manuel Gutiérrez de la Concha. The tombs sculpted by Mariano Benlliure and Agustín Querol are particularly noteworthy. As a curious fact, it is worth mentioning that in the cemetery courtyard there is a Statue of Liberty, represented by the figure of a woman sculpted in Carrara marble by the sculptor Ponciano Ponzano in 1853, created 26 years before the popular New York sculpture by the Frenchman Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. The statue of Ponzano is part of a mausoleum that houses the remains of, among others, the liberal politician Mendizábal, the president of the Cortes of 1841, Argüelles, and the jurist Calatrava.