Plaza de Cibeles

Plaza de Cibeles is a place that is very dear to an important part of the Madrilenian population: here is the monument around which Real Madrid fans gather to celebrate the victories of their favourite team, many of which take place at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, one of the temples of world football.

Other sporting celebrations take place in this square, such as those for the victories of the national football and basketball teams, but it is not only sporting passion that makes this place interesting.

Until the 18th century, the square looked quite different from how we see it now and had the function of separating royal and religious buildings. It was Charles III who wanted to change the appearance of the square, commissioning Ventura Rodrìguez and José de Hermosilla, two court architects. Between the 18th and the end of the 19th century all the most important palaces and monuments were built.

Plaza de Cibeles is overlooked by some of Madrid’s most iconic buildings and from here starts the Paseo del Arte, the famous street along which the city’s three great museums (the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza) are concentrated, which alone make the Spanish capital a must-see.

As if this were not enough to make Plaza de Cibeles a must-see on any holiday in Madrid, it is also home to one of the city’s most beautiful viewpoints.

Things to do at Plaza de Cibeles

The most famous monument in Plaza de Cibeles is the one that gives it its name, the fountain in the centre of the square. The work of sculptors Francisco Gutiérrez, Roberto Michel and Miguel Ximénez, it depicts the goddess Cybele, symbol of the creative force of nature, seated on a chariot drawn by two lions.

Made in 1777, the Cybele fountain was moved to this square five years later. Today it is a symbol of Madrid and it is around the goddess that cheering fans gather.

The square is also named after the Cibeles Palace, a splendid palace with a high tower, home to the current City Hall and a cultural centre dedicated to the city and urban life by the bizarre name of CentroCentro.

Also known as the Palacio de Comunicaciones, this monumental building mixes neo-Gothic, Spanish regional styles and the brilliant insights of architects and engineers such as Gustave Eiffel and Otto Wagner.

Inaugurated in 1909, it was immediately recognised as a ‘total’ work of art in which every tiny detail forms an artistic complex that serves the building’s original purpose as Casa de Correos (the Post Office); only since 2007 has it become the seat of the City Hall.

On the eighth floor of the palace is the Mirador Madrid, a panoramic terrace from which one can enjoy a 360° view of the city. It is a truly exceptional vantage point from which you can see the Gran Vía joining calle Alcalá, the magnificent Retiro Park and Paseo de la Castellana.

Other splendid palaces overlooking Plaza de Cibeles are:

• Palacio de Linares: commissioned by the Marquis of Linares, it was built in 1900 and is now home to Casa America, a cultural institution dedicated to cultural relations between Spain and Latin America.
• Banco de España: another administrative building, headquarters of the Bank of Spain. Inaugurated in 1881, it has an uninteresting façade but is richly decorated inside.
• Palacio de Buenavista: an 18th century palace surrounded by a large garden, it was the residence of the Dukes of Alba. Today it is the headquarters of the army.

How to get to Plaza de Cibeles

Plaza de Cibeles is located at the intersection of two of the main streets in the centre of Madrid: Calle de Alcalà (which runs east-west) and a long tree-lined avenue running north-south, which to the south of the square is called Paseo del Prado while to the north it is called Paseo de Recoletos.

The nearest metro stop is a few dozen metres from the square, called Banco de Espana and served by line 2. If you are in Puerta del Sol, it will be enough to walk down Calle de Alcalà in an easterly direction for about one kilometre, and you will arrive at your destination. On foot it takes about 15 minutes.

Where to stay near Plaza de Cibeles

Finding accommodation near Plaza de Cibeles is really the least of the organisational problems of a holiday in Madrid: the area is full of accommodation, 4-star hotels, flats and bed and breakfasts. It all depends on your holiday style: if you want to be closer to the centre move west and the Gran Via, while if you are looking for more tranquillity move east and the Retiro Park.