The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a
neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become a symbol for the city of
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
. It sits at the intersection of
Calle de Alcalá
Calle de Alcalá is among the longest streets in Madrid. It starts at the Puerta del Sol and goes on for , to the northeastern outskirts of the city. Henry David Inglis described it in 1837 as "long, of superb width, and flanked by a splendid rang ...
(running from east to west),
Paseo de Recoletos
Paseo de Recoletos is a wide boulevard in central Madrid leading from Plaza de Cibeles to Plaza de Colón.
From west to east it consists of:
* Two southward lanes
* The pedestrian walk
* A southward bus lane
* Three southward lanes
* Three north ...
(to the North) and
Paseo del Prado
The Paseo del Prado is one of the main boulevards in Madrid, Spain. It runs north–south between the Plaza de Cibeles and the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V (also known as Plaza de Atocha), with the Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo (the locati ...
(to the south). Plaza de Cibeles was originally named Plaza de Madrid, but in 1900, the City Council named it Plaza de Castelar, which was eventually replaced by its current name.
It is currently delimited by four prominent buildings: the
Bank of Spain Building
The Bank of Spain Building (Spanish: ''edificio del Banco de España'') is the main headquarters of the Bank of Spain. Located in Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inha ...
, the Palacio de Buenavista, the
Palace of Linares
The Palace of Linares (Spanish: ''Palacio de Linares'') is a palace located in Madrid, Spain. It was declared national historic-artistic monument (precursor of the status of ''Bien de Interés Cultural
A Bien de Interés Cultural is a category o ...
("Palacio de Linares"), and the
Cybele Palace
Cibeles Palace (Spanish: ''Palacio de Cibeles''), formally known as Palacio de Comunicaciones (''Palace of Communications'') and Palacio de Telecomunicaciones (''Palace of Telecommunications'') until 2011, is a complex composed of two buildings ...
("Palacio de Cibeles"). These constructions are located in four different
neighbourhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural are ...
s from three different adjacent
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
s:
Centro
Centro may refer to:
Places Brazil
*Centro, Santa Maria, a neighborhood in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
* Centro, Porto Alegre, a neighborhood of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
*Centro (Duque de Caxias), a neighborhood of Duq ...
,
Retiro, and
Salamanca
Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritag ...
.
Over the years, Cybele Palace and her fountain have become symbolic monuments of the city.
Cibeles Fountain
The fountain of Cybele is found in the part of Madrid commonly called the
Paseo de Recoletos
Paseo de Recoletos is a wide boulevard in central Madrid leading from Plaza de Cibeles to Plaza de Colón.
From west to east it consists of:
* Two southward lanes
* The pedestrian walk
* A southward bus lane
* Three southward lanes
* Three north ...
. This fountain is named after
Cybele
Cybele ( ; Phrygian: ''Matar Kubileya/Kubeleya'' "Kubileya/Kubeleya Mother", perhaps "Mountain Mother"; Lydian ''Kuvava''; el, Κυβέλη ''Kybele'', ''Kybebe'', ''Kybelis'') is an Anatolian mother goddess; she may have a possible forer ...
, a
Phrygia
In classical antiquity, Phrygia ( ; grc, Φρυγία, ''Phrygía'' ) was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey, centered on the Sangarios River. After its conquest, it became a region of the great empires ...
n goddess. The fountain is traditionally the place where
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally worn ...
celebrate their team victories, with the team captain placing a Real Madrid flag and scarf on the statue.
The players and thousands of fans celebrated the Champions League won together
/ref>
Cybele Palace
The most prominent of the buildings at the Plaza de Cibeles is the Cybele Palace (formerly named Palace of Communication
Cibeles Palace (Spanish: ''Palacio de Cibeles''), formally known as Palacio de Comunicaciones (''Palace of Communications'') and Palacio de Telecomunicaciones (''Palace of Telecommunications'') until 2011, is a complex composed of two buildings ...
), which is the seat of the Madrid City Council.
Gallery
File:Cibeles fountain naknaknak.jpg, Statue of Cybele
Cybele ( ; Phrygian: ''Matar Kubileya/Kubeleya'' "Kubileya/Kubeleya Mother", perhaps "Mountain Mother"; Lydian ''Kuvava''; el, Κυβέλη ''Kybele'', ''Kybebe'', ''Kybelis'') is an Anatolian mother goddess; she may have a possible forer ...
by Francisco Gutiérrez Arribas
File:Palacio de Comunicaciones - 47.jpg, Palace of Communications
File:Plaza_de_Cibeles_(Madrid)_12.jpg, Night view of the Plaza, with the
Metropolis Building
Plaza de Cibeles (Madrid) 02.jpg, View from the Calle de Alcalá
Calle de Alcalá is among the longest streets in Madrid. It starts at the Puerta del Sol and goes on for , to the northeastern outskirts of the city. Henry David Inglis described it in 1837 as "long, of superb width, and flanked by a splendid rang ...
References
External links
*https://web.archive.org/web/20080321233956/http://www.picable.com/Architecture/Buildings/Palacio-De-Comunicaciones-in-Madrid.48307
plaza de cibeles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plaza De Cibeles
Calle de Alcalá
Paseo del Prado
Plazas in Centro District, Madrid
Plazas in Salamanca District, Madrid
Plazas in Retiro District, Madrid