 | |
 Interactive map of Carlos IV Monument | |
| Location | Plaza de Roma,Intramuros,Manila |
|---|---|
| Designer | Juan Adán |
| Fabricator | Filipino and Chinese artisans from the Maestranza Associated individuals: Mateo Villanueva, Felipe Alonso, Damian Domingo |
| Material | bronze,jasper,ashlar |
| Dedicated date | 1824fountain added:1886 |
| Dismantled date | 1960s, replaced by theGomburza National Monument |
| Restored to original location 1981 by theIntramuros Administration | |
TheCarlos IV monument (Spanish:Monumento al Rey Carlos IV) is a monument inPlaza de Roma,Intramuros, Manila dedicated toSpanish kingCharles IV.
In 1803, Spanish kingCharles IV approved a ten-year expedition to spread the vaccination againstsmallpox among the territories in theNew World andin Asia.[1] The Royal Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition (Spanish:Real Expedición Filantrópica de la Vacuna) also known as theBalmis Expedition, led by Dr.Francisco Javier de Balmis arrived in the Philippines in 1805 from Acapulco, Mexico. With them are 22 Mexican orphan boys (ages 8 to 10) which were live carriers of cowpox.[2]
The vaccine was accepted by the populace of the territory, however with initial apprehension from some.[3] The expedition in the Philippines yielded 20,000 vaccinated individuals. Later a vaccination center was organized in Manila.[3]
In 1796, Spanish sculptor Juan Adan was commissioned by the Government of Spain to create a monument toCarlos IV inManila.[4] The statue was manufactured in the Maestranza, a bronze cannon foundry by Filipino and Chinese Artisans, with associated figures Mateo Villanueva, Felipe Alonso andDamian Domingo.[4][5] Its base was made fromjaspers fromMt. Mariveles in Bataan andashlars cut from theTibagan quarries in Guadalupe,Makati.[4][5]
The monument was installed in Plaza Mayor (nowPlaza de Roma) in front of theManila Cathedral. In 1886, a fountain was added.[6]
Traditionally, it is believed that the monument was a token of gratitude by the people of Manila to the king for the gift of the vaccine[4][7] due to its installation after the expedition, when in reality it was commissioned almost a decade earlier. The statue, in theory, was created to reinforce Spain's colonial power and might amid the then simmering tensions of subjects in the territories[4][5][8](seeNovales revolt).
The current iteration of the monument features a pedestal made of cut ashlars, which have a water spout on its left and right.
A granite plaque is front and center of the pedestal with the inscription: AL REY D CARLOS IV EN GRATITUO AL DON BENIFICO DE LA VACUNA LOS HABITANTES DE FILIPINAS (To King Charles IV in gratitude for the beneficial gift of the vaccine to the inhabitants of the Philippines).[9] Another granite plaque can be found at the back of the pedestal with the inscription: LOS FILIPINOS ERIGIERON LA ESTATUA EL AÑO MDCCCXXIV EL AYUNTAMIENTO DE MANILA CONTRIBUYO ESTE FUENTE EL ANO DE MDCCCLXXXVI (The Filipinos erected the statue in the year 1824 the Manila city council contributed this fountain in the year of 1886). A bronze ornamentation bearing theSpanish coat of arms used to be below this granite plaque featured near its base.
Another plaque with a different inscription was supposedly found in its pedestal which tells the statue was installed in the same year 1824, but not because of gratitude for the vaccine but because of a mutiny that almost overthrew the colonial government.[5]
Original Adan proposals for the monument contain lionprotomes on top of the pedestal- near the feet of the statue and a crown near the base.[4]
The bronze statue on top of this pedestal depictsCharles IV in royal robes holding a staff ,the other arm akimbo, facing theManila Cathedral. Near its feet in its front and back are the roman numerals IV.
The entire monument is surrounded by a circular fountain which used to have various shrubbery. Original plans depict it without the fountain but surrounded by a wrought iron fence.
The monument was damaged during theLiberation of Manila which destroyed many structures in its environs.[10] It was largely intact, however, looting saw some of its metal appliques removed.
In the 1960s, waves of nationalistic fervor in the Philippines saw the monument being removed fromPlaza de Roma.[11] Theallegorical depiction of Filipino Priest-martyrs GomBurZa created by Solomon Saprid was erected on its spot. For years, the monument was relegated to one of the storage rooms of theNational Library of the Philippines.
In 1978, President Ferdinand E. Marcos inLetter of Instruction no. 733 ordered the restoration of several parts of Intramuros, which includedPlaza de Roma. Work was done by theIntramuros Administration, re-installing it in 1981.[7]
In 2016, the monument was declaredNational Cultural treasure (NCT) by theNational Museum of the Philippines.[12] In 2021, a bronze marker of the declaration was installed along with other Spanish-era statuary also declared NCT.[13]
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