Monument Commemorating the Heroic Deed of the Alcazar of Toledo

This monument, the work of sculptor Juan de Ávalos y Taborda (1911 – 2006), commemorates the defence of the Alczazar of Toledo between July and September 1936. It is located in the southeastern corner of the Alcazar, a place the rebels used as a cemetery during the siege, and before the monument could be erected the cross giving homage to the dead had to be removed. 

The monument consists of a number of figures and other design elements that represent the idea of sacrifice, martyrdom, and victory, all of which held great symbolic value for the Francoist regime. Looking at it from above, one can see the image of the eagle of St. John in the pavement, with a cross made of estanques in its breast. Standing at the foot of the monument, one can see how a block of stone representing the Alcazar stands amidst the fountains. Faith, in the centre, Valour on the right, and sacrifice on the left are represented on its sides. In front stands a seven-meter-tall figure of Victory wearing flowing robes resembling wings offers a sword to the sky. 

Behind the Victory figure are two columns representing the first pillars of the reconquest of Spain. They are engraved with laurels, the symbol of victory;  oak leaves, symbolizing strength in the face of adversity and the strength of faith; and palms, representing sacrifice. Joining the columns is a steel cross, with a Pieta on its back, from where the water that falls into the tanks flows. At the top, the water appears red, an allegory of sacrifice and heroism, but is clear when it reaches the lower tanks.  

There are walls decorated with reliefs on both sides, the one on the left to the martyrs, the one on the right to the heroes. The original project included two columns, but these were replaced by female figures offering the palm and oak to the martyrs and the laurel to the heroes. 

To improve the sight lines,  the surrounding streets had to be urbanized. The monument was inaugurated on 24 November 1961. It was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1996 and, out of concern that the  Tory figure could collapse, it was restored in 2021. The following year, the Manuel Azaña Association requested that the monument be removed. At the time of writing, April 2024, it formed part of the gardens of the Army Museum of Toledo, and the fountains were not functioning.