MAUSOLEUM OF JOAN PRIM I PRATS

Joan Prim i Prats (Reus, 1814 - Madrid, 1870) was Count of Reus, Viscount of Bruc, and Marquis of Los Castillejos. He was a military leader and politician who wielded significant influence in 19th-century Spanish politics. Among other positions, he served as military governor of Barcelona, a member of the Spanish Cortes, and president of the Council of Ministers. He distinguished himself as a military leader during the African War (1860) and as the commander of Spanish forces in Mexico (1862). He participated in the September Revolution of 1868, which deposed Queen Isabella II, but as a committed monarchist, he helped place Amadeo of Savoy on the Spanish throne. He died on December 30, 1870, following an assassination attempt three days earlier.

The figure of Prim, made of bronze with a silver plating, was sculpted by French artist Emile Hébert (1828-1893), who also created the medallions featuring the busts of Tiberius Gracchus, Atilius Regulus, Gaius Gracchus, and Gaius Marius. The exposed section consists of approximately 150 pieces joined by around 10,000 screws, weighing a total of 1,800 kilograms. On the long sides of the mausoleum, there are reliefs depicting the Battle of Los Castillejos and Prim’s triumphant entry into Madrid at the head of the Catalan volunteers during the African War.

In 1971, to mark the centenary of his death, the mausoleum was relocated from Madrid to the General Cemetery of Reus. Positioned in a gazebo, it suffered rapid degradation, but in 2013 it was restored by the Centre for the Restoration of Movable Heritage of the Government of Catalonia, with the initiative of the Reus City Council, in collaboration with the Tarragona Provincial Council and the Government of Catalonia.