The Statue On Top of Casa Bonita – Who Is It?
There's so much buzz about Colorado's famous Casa Bonita going through a lot of improvements now that the guys behind South Park have taken over. Let's take a look at one thing that won't change- the statue on top.
You've probably seen 100's of pictures of Casa Bonita; that pink palace on Colfax in Lakewood that's legendary. Of all times you've seen it, have you ever really noticed that statue on top of Casa Bonita's dome?
The Denver Casa Bonita first opened its doors in March of 1974. A date night that month might have included seeing Robert Redford and Mia Farrow in "The Great Gatsby."
Casa Bonita is so grand, so very pink. Maybe because of its color, people don't necessarily notice that person that stands atop of the restaurant. When I saw how they were working on "sprucing" up the dome, and saw the statue, I couldn't remember ever noticing it before.
The statue on top of Casa Bonita is Cuauhtémoc, he was the final Aztec ruler of Mexico. His rule was brief; only from 1520-1521. In 1521 the Spaniards overtook Tenochtitlan, and Cuauhtémoc surrendered. The Spaniards let Cuauhtémoc hold his title until his death, but was kept in guarded custody.
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The Lakewood Historical Society has over 20 buildings and objects listed as landmarks within the city, including Casa Bonita, which landed on the list in 2015. Another restaurant on that list is Davies' Chuck Wagon Diner.
The next time that you take friends and family to Casa Bonita, you can point out the statue of Cuauhtémoc and tell them about the last Aztec ruler of Mexico.
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Gallery Credit: Zane Mathews
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Gallery Credit: Nate Wilde