Monumento a la Independencia

The Monumento a la Independencia is probably the geographical axis of Mexico City. A monument conceived for the centennial celebrations in 1910, its completion was a triumph of engineering and art over the adversity of the lakebed soil.

After a failed attempt at construction in 1906 that forced the demolition of what had been built due to subsidence, the architect Antonio Rivas Mercado and the engineer Roberto Gayol gave the column a deep foundation that allowed it to rise sovereignly above the Paseo de la Reforma.

The soul of the monument resides at its summit: the “Angel,” as it is colloquially known, is actually the Winged Victory. A sculpture by the Italian artist Enrique Alciati, it represents the Greek goddess Nike. Standing over six meters tall and weighing seven tons, the figure is a feat of bronze casting with a 24-karat gold coating.

Her pose is not static, as Alciati's design captures a moment of divine grace. The goddess appears to descend from the sky with outstretched wings, balancing the strength of metal with the lightness of the wind.

In his right hand he holds aloft a laurel wreath, an eternal gesture of triumph honoring the heroes who lie in the mausoleum at the base. In his left, he grasps a broken chain of three links, a powerful symbol of the end of three centuries of Spanish rule and the birth of a free nation.

The story of the Winged Victory is also one of resilience. The 1957 earthquake toppled the original sculpture, plunging the country into symbolic mourning. Its reconstruction was overseen by sculptor José María Fernández Urbina, who created the current version of the figure that now crowns the capital's skyline, while the original head, dented from the fall, is preserved in the Historical Archive of Mexico City.

For over a century, witnessing the pulse of the nation has transformed the Winged Victory, our Angel of Independence, into a golden sentinel of Mexican history. Its presence has made this space a meeting point for celebration, social struggles, and shared hope.