DESCRIPTION
These are two sculptures located in the urban centre of Fuenlabrada de los Montes dedicated to beekeepers, paying tribute to one of the town’s most representative and identity-defining economic sectors. The first, located next to Parque de la Constitución, is larger in scale than the other, dedicated “to beekeeping”, which is situated near Parque de Santa Ana and the Rollo de Santa Ana.
HISTORY
The initiative to honour beekeepers arose as recognition of the beekeeping tradition of Fuenlabrada de los Montes, an activity deeply rooted in the municipality and passed down from generation to generation.
The larger work is located in Parque de la Constitución and is a monument paying tribute to the beekeepers of Fuenlabrada de los Montes, as they form the basis of the town’s economy. It represents the effort and sacrifice of beekeepers through a bronze sculpture set on a granite base, from which emerges a man raising a honeycomb with his right arm. It dates approximately from between 1978 and 1980.
The other sculpture was inaugurated in 2001 to recognise beekeeping as a fundamental sector for the municipality and to honour the men who dedicate their lives to the production of honey and pollen, which have brought such fame to Fuenlabrada de los Montes. It depicts a beekeeper cleaning the bee frames in order to later extract the honey. Its base is granite and the sculpture is bronze. It is located next to the Rollo de Santa Ana and the park of the same name.
The town is known as the “village of honey” due to the historical and economic importance of this activity, which has shaped not only its economy but also its cultural identity. Beekeeping in this territory has traditionally developed through transhumant practices, adapting to different flowering seasons and allowing the production of a wide variety of honeys.
HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC DESCRIPTION
Both figures are figurative in nature, conceived to convey the relationship between human beings and the natural environment, as well as the artisanal work linked to honey production. The sculptures represent the figure of a beekeeper carrying out his activity, one lifting a piece of honeycomb and the other directly and clearly showing the profession it pays tribute to. Their location in public spaces reinforces their role as educational and symbolic elements, integrating into the urban ensemble as part of the municipality’s identity narrative.
RELEVANT FIGURES RELATED TO THE POI
The monuments are collectively dedicated to the beekeepers of Fuenlabrada de los Montes, true protagonists of a tradition that has brought national prestige to the town.
MOVABLE HERITAGE
Representative sculptures of the beekeeper and the beekeeping sector, fully integrated into the urban space.
INTANGIBLE HERITAGE
Both monuments symbolise the beekeeping tradition of Fuenlabrada de los Montes, an activity that forms an essential part of its collective identity and economy, remaining alive through inherited practices adapted over time.
