Plaza de Cibeles

The name of the square is due to the fountain with the statue of Cybele , the goddess of fertility. Cybele is depicted in a wagon drawn by lions. Over the fountain worked: Francisco Gutierrez (the image of the goddess), Roberto Michel (the image of lions), Miguel Jimenez (finishing details). The fountain was erected at the end of the 19th century at the Sibeles Square. Also this monument has long been a symbol of Madrid .

Sibeles is surrounded by four buildings. Each of the buildings has its historical significance.

A magnificent mansion of the Marquises of De Lenares , built in 1884. There are a lot of rumors about the ghosts living in the mansion. The reason for this was the numerous executions and burials in the prison, which was in this place at the beginning of the XIX century. Just killing your own child, the Marquis of Linares, after he learned that the mother of the child is his illegitimate sister. And the suicide of the Marquis himself. In 1992, the building was rebuilt and occupied by a cultural center dedicated to Latin America. It houses an art gallery and a museum.

The Palacio de Buenavista is built as the family residence of the Dukes of Alba. It was built as the residence of the Duchess of Cayetana de Alba, but she did not wait for the completion of the construction. Palacio de Buenavista, this is a palace of the late 18th century, in which is now the headquarters of the army of Spain.

Bank of Spain . One of the brightest examples of electric architecture. The grand opening was held in 1981. The architects were Eduardo Adaro and Severiano Sainz de Lastra. The building occupies almost a whole block. At a depth of 30 meters, the bank keeps the country's gold reserves. The storehouse at the risk of just flooded with water, until they invented modern security systems.

The youngest building on Sibeles Square is the Palace of the Main Post Office . This is the most impressive building on the square. It was built by architects Antonio Palacios, Julian Otamendi and engineer Angel Chueca from 1904 to 1917. This spectacular building became one of the most characteristic buildings of the city and was nicknamed the "Wedding Cake" because of the large number of towers and stucco decorations of the facade. In 2007 the Madrid City Hall moved into it.

Plaza de Cibeles was chosen by the fans of Madrid Real as a place to celebrate the victories of their team. During one of these celebrations in 1995, the fans clothed the statue of the goddess and broke off her right hand. Since then, the fans are not allowed to enter the tatto.