Overview

Standing gallantly in the expansive Freedom Square, this gray equestrian statue stands in stark contrast to the white National Monument behind it. Handcrafted by Italian sculptor Colbertado, it depicts the turbaned Prince Diponegoro mounted on a stallion raising its forelegs. The prince was a revered warrior who struggled in vain to free the Javanese from the Dutch during the 19th century. To many Indonesians the figure symbolizes the nationalist movement. Italian industrialist Mario Pito commissioned the construction of the statue and presented it to the state in 1965.