The Monkey of the Fountain

This fountain (c. 1685) shows an ornate multi-tiered form with carved basins and a figure of Neptune at the top. It stood in Bogotá’s Plaza Mayor and displayed royal emblems tied to colonial authority. Local viewers misread the upper figure as a monkey, giving the monument a satirical edge. Its central location later turned it into a site where citizens voiced grievances, indicating its role in civic resistance.