Cibeles Fountain

The Cibeles Fountain, built in 1782 is one of the symbols of Madrid. Situated in the center of the Plaza de Cibeles, the square to which it has lent its name, it is surrounded by the buildings of Buenavista Palace (the Army Headquarters), Linares Palace (the Casa de América cultural institution), Palacio de Comunicaciones (which was previously the main Post Office and is now Madrid City Hall), and the Bank of Spain.

The fountain depicts Cybele, the Great Mother and Roman goddess of fertility and agriculture, atop a chariot drawn by two lions, the mythological creatures Hippomenes and Atalanta. The goddess and the lions were carved out of marble and the rest of the statue is made of stone. The sculpture of the goddess is the work of Francisco Gutiérrez and the lions by the French sculptor Roberto Michel.

It was originally designed not just as a decorative element, but also as a source of water for the city’s houses. It had two standpipes that were in operation until 1862. One pipe provided water for the official water carriers who carried water to the houses and the other was for the general public while the horses drank from the basin.