Lorraine Williamson
In a move as audacious as it is controversial, Spain’s far-right party Vox has unveiled a plan to build a colossal bull statue towering 300 metres above the city of Burgos — nearly triple the height of its world-famous Gothic cathedral.
Positioned as a patriotic monument and tourist magnet, the proposal is already igniting mockery, outrage, and deep ideological divides.
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The initiative is being championed by Fernando Martínez-Acitores, Vox’s deputy mayor in Burgos. He wants the city to offer a plot of public land to the Spanish Academy of Bullfighting, which has pledged to fund the entire project privately.
Their vision? A mega-statue that would rival global icons like the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty. Plans include panoramic viewing platforms inside the bull’s horns, and a leisure complex below filled with restaurants and bullfighting-themed souvenir shops.
Martínez-Acitores describes the idea as a “unique opportunity” to catapult Burgos onto the international stage. He argues it could become a new national emblem and bring a tourism boom. “They just need the land and some bureaucratic support,” he told local media. “They’ll do the rest.”
A giant bull vs a UNESCO landmark
To grasp the scale of the ambition: the Gothic Cathedral of Burgos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands at 112 metres. The proposed bull would almost triple that, dramatically altering the city’s skyline. Supporters argue it would offer a modern counterweight to the city’s historical architecture — and a bold nod to Spanish tradition.
But critics say it’s less about culture and more about culture war.
Reactions range from laughter to outrage
The backlash was swift. Cristina Ayala, Burgos’ mayor and Vox’s own coalition partner from the Partido Popular (PP), responded with little more than a laugh. “The proposal speaks for itself,” she said. “No comment needed.”
Daniel de la Rosa, the city’s former mayor and now PSOE opposition leader, was blunter: “At first I thought it was satire. In my 14 years on the council, I’ve never heard anything so absurd.” He accused Vox of staging political theatre rather than offering real solutions.
“Congratulations,” he added sarcastically. “You made the national news — as a punchline.”
Animal welfare groups: ‘offensive and outdated’
Outside the political arena, animal rights campaigners have also condemned the proposal. Judith Sánchez, president of ProAnBur, a local advocacy group, called the statue “a provocation rooted in cruelty”.
“Bullfighting is in decline. If it weren’t for hidden subsidies, many arenas would be empty,” Sánchez said. “To suggest a 300-metre bull as a national symbol is offensive. It’s not art — it’s nostalgia dressed as spectacle.”
She emphasised that the cultural tide has shifted. “We’re in the 21st century. Spain is moving forward, not backward.”
Symbol of pride or relic of the past?
The bull has long held symbolic weight in Spanish culture — but that symbolism is increasingly contested. For some, it represents bravery, tradition, and heritage. For others, it evokes cruelty, conservatism, and regression.
The proposed statue in Burgos encapsulates this cultural clash in concrete form — quite literally. While no formal motion has been submitted yet, the political and public fallout is already underway.
More than just a bull
Behind the headline-grabbing dimensions lies a bigger question: what kind of symbols should Spain embrace in the modern age? A soaring monument to a controversial tradition might draw tourists — but at what cost to the country’s evolving identity?
For now, the idea remains just that: an idea. But in a political landscape marked by spectacle and division, even a giant bull — whether built or not — has already left its hoofprint on the national conversation.
Sources: El País, Burgos conecta