At the Plaça del Portal de la Pau stands the Monument a Cristòfor Colom (Christopher Columbus),
60m/197ft high and weighing 205 tons,
which was erected for the World Exhibition in 1888.
The monument is placed at the site where Columbus arrived in 1493
after his discovery of America the year before.
Columbus was presumably born in Genoa, Italy.
He first moved to Portugal and later settled in Spain.
Nevertheless in the 19th century Columbus was considered a Catalan,
some historians still claimed he was born in Catalonia,
hence the monument for the famous explorer in Barcelona.
The iron column is completely covered with allegorical figures.
Around the base is a series of reliefs depicting important stages in Columbus's life
and voyages of discovery.
On the top of the column is an 8m/26ft high statue of Columbus,
which points out to sea (and therefore not directly towards the New World).
A lift takes visitors up to a look-out area from where there are excellent views of port and the city.