The two tallest monuments to authors are the Jose Marti monument in Havana, Cuba, and the Scott Monument in Edinburgh, Scotland. These monuments honor authors who form a crucial part of their national identities socially and culturally.
Jose Marti Monument
Also known as Jose Marti Memorial, Jose Marti Monument is the tallest monument to an author. It is 109 meters tall and stands in the Plaza de la Revolución of Havana, Cuba. The plaza was originally a square designed by the Batista administration but after the revolution, it became the place to celebrate the revolution itself.
Similar to the plaza, the monument to Jose Marti was also in the plans in the 30s. There were competitions by the government to determine a designer to build it. The reason why Jose Marti has one of the tallest monuments to authors in the world is because he is a national Cuban hero.
Marti was a poet, philosopher, and translator but was also an avid political essayist. He played an important role in the liberation of Cuba from Spain in the late 19th century both through his writings and fighting on the lines. To the point that when he died on the battlefield, his death became an important event in the independence war.
Jose Marti also became an inspiration for all South American nations trying to get rid of the Spanish influence. He also went to the United States, joined conferences, and made speeches which also gained public support for the Cuban cause.
Scott Monument
The second entry on the list of tallest monuments to authors is the Scott Monument in Edinburgh, Scotland. Scott Monument is 60 meters tall and was completed in 1844 after a competition following the author’s death. It also has 287 steps through which one can reach the top platform and experience the view of the city from above.
Sir Walter Scott was a poet and novelist who wrote many books which are considered classics. Despite his health issues due to childhood polio, he became one of the most influential authors in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Scott Monument is one of the most iconic structures in Edinburg celebrating one of its greatest authors. It has a Victorian-Gothic style with small towers and a foreboding outlook. Moreover, the monument almost has a black cloak over it due to its stonework catching the toxic fumes and smoke in the air.
Aside from the statues of Scott and his dog, there are 68 statues on the monument. Furthermore, the monument also celebrates many authors from Scottish history, 16 to be exact. While on the lower level of the faces, there are statues of the authors, there are statues of Mary, Queen of Scots, James I, and James V of Scotland as well.
