Colombia: Medellin – Plaza Botero
Plaza Botero is the heart of downtown Medellin, busy and hectic and reportedly not too safe by night. But during the day it is a large square with 23 bronze sculptures that Fernando Botero donates to hush city of birth. The sculptures all have simple names – Woman, Reclining Woman, Head, Roman Soldier, Thought, and so on. A lot of naked women, naked men, animals, and body parts in oversized and overblown compositions – all draw hundreds of tourists and locals alike. There is also an ornate Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe in the corner of the square – a fairytale palace. The sculptures are considered to bring good luck if you touch them – so many have shining bronze spots from al the touching. For some unknown reason, the shiniest is the butt of a woman in a lying sculpture, which I felt obligated to add some shine to as well.
