GENERAL MENACHO

Monument to General Menacho

General Menacho was born in Cádiz on May 22nd, 1766. At the age of 18, he enlisted as an officer cadet in La Victoria Regiment. It was during the Spanish Independence War against Napoleón (1808-1814) that he first established links with Extremadura and Badajoz. He took part in the Battle of Medellín (March 28th,1809) and also joined military operations in Mérida, (where he was shot in his left thigh) and the towns of Mesas de Ibor, Feria and Jerez de Los Caballeros. Once those operations were over, he was ordered to move to Badajoz in command of his garrison. He arrived at the city of Badajoz on March, 10th 1810.

When Badajoz was besieged by the French troops, he was in charge of the defense of the city, which he did with admirable heroism. On March, 4th, 1811, while he was at the Bastion of Santiago, commanding his troops to attack the French soldiers,he was hit by a falling cannon ball that killed him in the spot. After his death, it was José Imaz who was left to take command of the defense, but instead he opted for a capitulation to the French.

Menacho was buried at the burial place reserved for the canons at the Cathedral of Badajoz. However, in 1880, his remains were exhumed and taken to his own vault at the Cathedral´s cloister.

In 1892, a decisión was taken to erect a monument to the memory of General Rafael Menacho y Tutlló. This task was finally accomplished on May 2nd 1893, thanks to the joining efforts of the Army, the Town Council, and some institutions and citizens. Besides, the Street leading to the site of the monument was also named after him, as well as the military base in Badajoz.

Julio Carande Galán took care of the design of the monument, which was built by the stonemasons Antonio Zoido and Antonio Almendros.It is an eight-metre high column made of Portuguese, Italian and Alconeran marble set upon a pedestal and surrounded by four marble lions. The pedestal is decorated with a detailed depiction of General Menacho´s military scenes.