An initiative of the Spanish State, it was funded via popular subscription, receiving money from about 1,000 institutions and individual subscriptors from all over Spain as well as from Mexico, Argentina, France, England and Italy.

[1] An eloquent speaker, Castelar had distinguished himself during his lifetime as a defender of the Spanish nation and as voucher of freedom against slavery.

[1] Following the description of Jacinto Octavio Picón [es] in El Imparcial (5 July 1908),[2] the monument can be described as follows: Placed on a rectangular granite floor, there is a limestone block, on which there is a white marble basement that supports two bronze parliamentary benches.

[2] The lower backside is formed by a concave bronze relief commemorating Castelar's campaigns in favour of the abolition of slavery in the former Spanish colonies.

[2] It is composed of eight figures of men and women in an attitude of showing their broken chains, while above them the fragment of a speech by Castelar written in golden letters reads as follows: "Rise up, slaves, because you have a homeland".