John the Baptist Monument
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Monumento a San Juan Bautista | |
 The monument in June, 2008 | |
 | |
| 9°20′53″N 70°27′50″W / 9.34806°N 70.46389°W | |
| Location | San Juan de los Morros, Guárico, Venezuela |
|---|---|
| Type | statue |
| Material | Concrete |
| Height | 19.8 m (62.3ft) |
| Beginning date | 1933 |
| Completion date | 1935 |
| Opening date | December 21, 1935 |
The John the Baptist Monument is a 19.8-meter (62.3 ft) concrete statue in downtown San Juan de los Morros, Guárico state, Venezuela, erected in honor of John the Baptist.[1] Commonly called San Juanote, it's one of the highest statues in Venezuela. It was built by the command of Venezuelan dictator Juan Vicente Gómez in 1933 as a present to the city when it was declared the capital of Guárico State. The monument was carved in the hills of Calabozo and moved to San Juan in 1935.[2]
San Juan de los Morros and its monument to the Baptist are located in a large geographical area which contact the foothills of the central Venezuelan Coastal Range and lowlands region of the Venezuelan Llanos.[3]
Sanjuanote sits atop the El Calvario hill, a small promontory in the center of the city. The statue is surrounded by concrete lions and old cannons that serve as gatekeepers in a symbolic protective attitude around the monument.[2]
