Rocinante “A Horse Like No Other” Don Quixote of La Mancha’s Horse

One of the most influential and widely translated book, Don Quixote, written by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, is celebrating 400 years since it’s first publication this year. Did you know that it took Don Quixote four days to chose a name for his horse?! Sculptures have been made of Don Quixote and his horse and the newest one to join the collection, featured above! In honor of this important milestone, the professionals at Oyma 3D made Quixote this horse of his dreams this summer in July.

Published in two volumes during the early 1600s and considered to be one of the most widely-read works of literature ever created, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha – which is oftentimes referred to as just ‘Don Quixote’.

In addition to being one of the most widely translated books of all time, Don Quixote is also considered to be one of the most influential books of all time – with many classic authors ranging from Alexandre Dumas to Mark Twain claiming it as being inspirational for their own classic works.

In celebration of the 400th Anniversary of this classic piece of literature, Egyptian design engineer Mahmoud Al-Swedy of Oyma3D digitally sculpted a 3D model of the famous Spanish knight’s beloved horse, ‘Rocinante’ over the past nine months.

“This is my homage to Don Quixote. I have been profoundly influenced by this deeply amusing and truly compelling book and wanted to create something that reflects my admiration,” says Al-Swedy.

“It took me quite a while to decide what is the best way to honor a gentleman like Don Quixote de la Mancha, until I figured out that giving him the horse of his dreams is the best gift we could ever give him. Particularly, if the horse design is very complex to the extent that it can be made only by professional 3D printers.”

“Don Quixote’s horse “Rocinante” was not just an ordinary horse, but he was to him the resemblance of the super horse that a heroic knight like Don Quixote can rely upon in his legendary battles like when he fought the giants (such as the famous fight with the windmills),” adds Al-Swedy.

“A horse like no other, this is how I wanted this sculpture to be, an intricate and unique piece that suits a magnificent knight like Don Quixote.”

According to Al-Swedy, Rocinante came together through the collective efforts of artists and vendors from Egypt, Spain, Holland and the USA; while the design sketching was done in Egypt, the 3D modeling and bronze casting was completed in Spain and the final 3D printing prototyping was done in Holland. The final orders will be shipped to the USA for 3D printing. He compares this global network of partners for the project to the influence that the book has had around the globe.

“It’s no surprise that a book globally revered would have a team from across the world working together in its celebration.”

Statue by Anna Hyatt Huntington at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina, USA

Rocinante by Anna Hyatt Huntington. 1923

**The Plaza de España (Spain Square) in Madrid, Spain**

This is s in the Plaza de España (Spain Square) in Madrid. It was designed by architects Rafael Martínez Zapatero and Pedro Muguruza and sculptor Lorenzo Coullaut Valera. Most of the monument was built between 1925 and 1930, and it was finished between 1956 and 1957 by Federico Coullaut-Valera Mendigutia (Lorenzo Coullaut’s son). In 1960 two new sculpture groups were added, one of them being Rinconete and Cortadillo made by Federico Coullaut-Valera.