Monumento a los Héroes de Baler

This is one of the latest monuments to be incorporated into Madrids urban landscape. It was inaugurated on 13 January 2020. The statue, which represents Lieutenant Saturnino Martín Castillo, is the work of the artist Salvador Amaya, who was inspired by a painting by Ferrer Dalmau.

The Heroes of Baler are popularly known as the Last of the Philippines. A Spanish battalion that resisted the siege of the church where they were taking refuge in the town of Baler, on the Philippine island of Luzon, for almost 340 days. The heroic deed took place between July 1898 and June 1899. The monument was erected to commemorate its 120th anniversary.

Text and photos by Antonio Castro Jiménez, Chronicler of the Villa de Madrid.