Plaza de Cibeles: Goddess, Lions and a Palace of Post
Why is it significant?
Here she is: Cybele, the mother goddess of the earth, sitting calmly in a chariot pulled by two lions, while the busiest junction in Madrid roars around her. Behind her rises a white palace so ornate that newcomers assume it must be a cathedral.
Key Facts
| Place | Plaza de Cibeles: Goddess, Lions and a Palace of Post |
|---|---|
| Address | Plaza de Cibeles, 28014 Madrid, Spain |
| Geo Coordinates | 40.41940, -3.69250 |
| Part of Walk | Madrid's Landscape of Light: The Paseo del Arte, the Prado & the Retiro |
| Generated | Generated |
Here she is: Cybele, the mother goddess of the earth, sitting calmly in a chariot pulled by two lions, while the busiest junction in Madrid roars around her. Behind her rises a white palace so ornate that newcomers assume it must be a cathedral.
The fountain was finished in 1782, another design by Ventura Rodríguez. The lions have names, from Greek myth: Atalanta and Hippomenes, two lovers who offended the goddess and were turned into beasts, condemned to pull her chariot for ever. Originally the fountain faced the Paseo del Prado. It was moved to the centre of the square in 1895, and the goddess turned to face the Calle de Alcalá. When Real Madrid win a trophy, the players climb up to dress her in a club scarf.
Look at the grand building on the corner across from the palace. That is the Bank of Spain. Madrileños love a legend about it: that the vault holding the nation's gold lies deep beneath this square, and that in an emergency it could be flooded with water to drown any thief. The bank does not confirm the details, which, of course, only makes the story better.
And the white palace? It was built as the Palace of Communications, the central post office, designed by Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi and opened in 1919. Madrileños nicknamed it Our Lady of Communications, because it looked far too holy for stamps and telegrams. Since 2007 it has been the city hall, with a cultural centre inside and a viewing terrace on top, and a huge banner on the front that changes with the causes of the day.
Now turn east, uphill along the Calle de Alcalá. Ahead, standing alone in the middle of a roundabout, you will see a granite gateway with five openings. It was built to impress anyone entering the capital, and it has been impressing people for nearly two and a half centuries.