Cibeles Fountain
One of the most breathtaking sights in Madrid certainly has to be the, "Fuente de Cibeles", Fountain of Cibeles, situated in the heart of Madrid. The monument was designed by Ventura Rodriguez in 1777 at the request of Carlos lll and is considered one of Madrid's most important symbols, situated very near to El Parque del Retiro, (Retiro Park), The Puerta de Alcalà, Gran Via and Sol, the monument is made of more than 10,000 KG of marble depicting Cybele the Greek goddess of fertility, on a chariot being pulled by two lions, the goddess and chariot are the work of Francisco Gutiérrez and the lions by Roberto Michel.
In 1782 the Cibeles Fountain originally stood next to the Buenavista Palace but in 1865 it was moved to its present location at the junction of Paseo del Prado and Calle de Alcalà.
A view of the Cibeles Fountain and the immediate surrounding area
You will very often see Real Madrid supporters and sometimes even the players themselves celebrating victories at the fountain of Cibeles, as the fountain is used to celebrate triumphs in league games as well as league cup, the King's cup, or European wins, very often you will see flags or scarves from Real Madrid adoring the much loved and celebrated statue.
As well as celebrations of Real Madrid, the area is fairly often closed off to traffic
to allow for other celebrations such as concerts, shows and visits from high level VIP's, the Fountain of Cibeles is guaranteed at these times to be absolutely buzzing with record crowds of spectators gathered to see the latest styles, music stars such as David Bisbal and VIP's, such as the visit in August 2011 JMJ (La Jornada Mundial de la Juventud) by Pope Benedict XVI. If you are lucky enough to see Madrid at a time of an event taking place in Plaza de Cibeles, whatever the event, you can be assured that you will be thoroughly entertained, Madrid does not do anything in halves, you will see that the city puts its heart and soul into every event that it holds.
We have included in the photo gallery below also pictures of one of the most prominent buildings beside the Cibeles Fountain, the Cibeles Palace building (formerly the Communications Palace). This incredible landmark was built in 1909 by Antonio Palacios as the main post office headquarters, it later became the Postal and Telegraphic Museum until 2007 and it is now known as the Madrid City Hall, but you will still hear many of the locals referring to it as the Post Office building. The Cibeles Fountain is an excellent spot for background photos, if you want a really powerful, dynamic sightseeing background for your photos, then this is the place for you and yours.
