Cibeles Square


Plaza Cibeles (Madrid) is one of the most beautiful squares of the Spanish capital at the intersection of the Prado and Recoletes boulevards and the streets of Alcala. It is named after the goddess of fertility of Cybele. The construction of the square was completed in the 18th century - before that there was a wasteland in its place, and for many centuries before that the forest. The area is formed by magnificent and majestic buildings, each of which deserves a separate story. It is believed that these four buildings symbolize the four pillars on which the modern state relies: the army, business, power and culture.

Today, Cibeles ( Madrid ) - a meeting place for the fans of the Madrid "Real"; previously competed with the fans of the team "Atletico Madrid", but then they moved their meetings to the fountain of Neptune. Since 1986, it has become a tradition to decorate the statue of Kibela with a club scarf whenever "Real Madrid" wins the cup, and the players themselves after the important victories bathe in the fountain.

Cibeles Fountain

The main decoration of the square is a fountain, depicting the goddess Cybele on a chariot, in which lions are harnessed. The fountain was erected between 1777 and 1782, and at first it had not only a decorative purpose, but also a practical one - local residents used to take water from it, and there was also a drinker for horses. Several sculptors worked on the fountain - the image of the goddess himself was made by Francesco Gutierrez (who also created the chariot), the author of the lions was Roberto Michel, and the details of the fountain were made by Miguel Jimenez. The goddess and lions are made of blue marble, everything else is made of stone easier.

The sculpture symbolizes the country's desire for prosperity. At the place where the fountain is now, it was transported at the end of the XIX century, and before that was facing the Neptune fountain.

Post office

Palacio de Comunicacions, or the Post Office is a grand building, as recognizable as a symbol of Madrid, as is the fountain of Cibeles. In the people it is called a "wedding cake" for the abundance of towers, columns, pinnacles, galleries and a very elegant appearance. He also has another popular name - "The Mother of God of Telecommunications"; it is due to the fact that the building and in fact its monumental reminiscent of the Catholic Cathedral.

The construction was carried out from 1904 to 1917 under the leadership of architects Antonio Palacios, Julian Otamendi and engineer Angela Chueca. The style in which the building is made is called "neochureregesko".

Since 2011 it has been called the "Cibeles Palace"; he is the "symbol of power", because in 2011 he was transferred to the mayor's office. His interior decoration is also amazing, representing a bizarre mixture of neochuregrezko and hi-tech. In addition to offices, there are exhibition halls devoted to the modern life of Madrid and urbanism in general, and a recreation area with free Wi-Fi. The exhibition halls can be visited completely free of charge, all days except Monday, from 10-00 to 20-00. A beautiful view of the square and the city opens from the observation deck of the palace; It can also be accessed all days except Monday, from 10-30 to 13-00 and from 16-30 to 19-30, paying 2 euros. On Sundays, there is also an inner playground, previously used as a parking lot for postal vehicles. On other days it hosts various events.

Linares Palace

The palace Linares is built on a "dysfunctional" place - before him there was a prison, and even earlier a stash. It was erected, or rather, it was rebuilt in 1873 by the architect Carlos Koludi. Today it is also called the "home of America" ​​- it hosts various events dedicated to Latin American countries, as well as a museum and an art gallery. The building is built in the style of "Baroque", its original owner was the banker Jose de Murga. The building was restored in 1992.

Buenavista Palace

The palace was erected in 1769 and originally belonged to the Alba family. Now it is the Supreme Command of the armed forces of the country.

Bank of Spain

The eclectic building of the bank, located directly opposite the Post Office, was erected in 1884 by the architects Severiano Sainz de Lastra and Eduardo Adaro, and was inaugurated in 1891. After that, in the XX century, the building was expanded several times. It has a glass dome and a patio; The main decoration of it is the stained glass windows. According to legend, from the bank to the fountain a tunnel is laid, which is the storehouse of the country's gold reserve. According to another legend, water comes through the tunnel from the fountain, which, in case of danger, should flood the storehouse of this very gold reserve (let's remind: by the time of the construction of the building the alarm system did not exist yet).

How to get there and when to visit?

The area of ​​Cibeles is located between the two boulevards - Prado and de los Recoletos. The entrance to the square is free and you can visit it at any time, however from May to the middle of October the area is especially beautiful, and it is better to visit here in the evening when the fountain is working.

The square can be reached on foot from the Plaza Mayor or from the Puerta del Sol , or by metro (line 2, exit at the station Bank of Spain).