Fountain of the Fallen Angel
The Fountain of the Fallen Angel, or The Fuente del Ángel Caído, is a monument and work of art located in the Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain. The statue that crowns the monument was created by Ricardo Bellver in 1877 in Rome and was inspired by verses from Paradise Lost of John Milton (Canto I). It received the first prize in the 1877 edition of the Exposiciones Nacionales de Bellas Artes and was acquired by the state of Madrid in 1878.
It is renowned for its dramatic appeal, the tension in the expression and its ambiguity in treating a polemical subject that caused turmoil regarding its possible interpretation as a satanic tribute.
It has the reputation to be the only prominent sculpture dedicated to the devil and it stands at 666 meters above sea level.
It was sponsored by The duque of Fernán Nuñez and Francisco Jareño designed its pedestal, which is octagonal in shape with figures of devils on each side. Its inauguration was made by the Queen consort of Spain, Maria Christina of Austria in 1885.
