Description
The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid. It sits at the intersection of Calle de Alcalá (running from east to west), Paseo de Recoletos (to the North) and Paseo del Prado (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, the Palacio de Buenavista, the Palacio de Linares and the Cybele Palace. These constructions are located in four different neighbourhoods from three different adjacent districts: Centro, Retiro and Salamanca.In the years Cybele Palace and her fountain have become symbolic monuments of the city.HistoryThe place where Plaza de Cibeles sits today used to form part of a wooded, longitudinal axis that, during the Renaissance, separated the urban section of Madrid from different monastic and palace complexes. It consisted of three main sections, known as the Prado de los Recoletos Agustinos (now the Paseo de Recoletos), the Prado de los Jerónimos (which corresponds to the now Paseo del Prado) and the Prado de Atocha.
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