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Benavides Monument
The Benavides Monument is a memorial in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines built to commemorate the founder of the University of Santo Tomas, Miguel de Benavides. Located in the Plaza Benavides in front of the UST Main Building, the monument consists of a bronze statue of Benavides rising on top of a granite pedestal. The present monument was unveiled in 1946. HistoryThe Benavides statue first stood in the Plaza de Santo Tomas in front of the original campus in Intramuros.[1] Design
The pedestal is flanked at the base by four seated lions.
The old university seal is featured on each side of the pedestal. Encircling the monument are eight elephants carrying a vase.
Plaza Santo Tomas (Present-day Intramuros)Years after World War II, the original statue was transferred to the Sampaloc campus leaving the Plaza Santo Tomas in Intramuros an empty space. In the 1980s, the Intramuros Administration redeveloped the area into a usable park.[2] In 2002, the UST administration in cooperation with the Intramuros Administration, National Historical Institute, and the university alumni renovated the park. Manuel Cueto of the UST College of Architecture designed the renovation. The renovation project began in March 2001. Only the fences were retained from the original design of the plaza, which were based on a 1936 Unitas.[3]  As part of the preparations for the Quadricentennial Celebration, a fiberglass replica of the statue was erected in its original location. The statue was sculpted by Dr. Crispin Viocencion and was inaugurated on January 25, 2002.[3] Beside the Benavides statue is an obelisk containing the names of all the framers of the Malolos Constitution. A plaque on the base of the obelisk mentions the 53 names of the Thomasians who became part of the 1899 Malolos Constitution. However, based on historical documents, 54 Thomasians, who were also members of the Malolos Congress, signed the 1899 Constitution.[3] An octagonal concrete marker was also added. Each side of the marker contains pictures of the original campus and the plaza.[3] Statue in Spain A statue of Benavides was unveiled in his hometown in Carrión de los Condes, Spain, on July 1, 2006.[4][5] The bronze statue was made by Carlos Diez Galán.[6][7] An inscription in the base of the statue reads, Miguel de Benavides, Carrión de los Condes. Primavera, 2006. Galán. In a bronze plaque in the front of the pedestal reads, Fr. Miguel de Benavides, OP. 1552 - 1605. Santo Misionero Prov. Ntra Sra Del Rosario. Arzobispo y fundador de la Universidad de Santo Tomas de Manila.[8] As part of the UST Quadricentennial Celebration in 2011, a mass at the Iglesia de San Andres and a wreath-laying ceremony at the statue were held. It was followed by the inauguration of a library named after Miguel de Benavides in the same town.[9][10] DepictionsDepictions of the monument have been used by the university in various occasions.
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