The least known story of the Cibeles fountain in Madrid is in the water. Today the monument occupies the center of the roundabout, in the middle of traffic, but there was a time when it was accessible. Its first location, at the end of the 18th century, was in front of the Buenavista palace, the current General Headquarters of the Army.
At that time it had two side jets, true works of art, which are preserved in the Museum of the Origins in Madrid. One was shaped like a bear, and was assigned to fifty municipal water carriers whose function was to supply nearby homes, and the other, shaped like a dragon, was free to use.
The source is fed – even today – by the Pascualas canal, an underground stream that since the Middle Ages was believed to have healing properties; hence its popularity. In fact, with the move of Cibeles in 1895, a small fountain had to be placed in its old location to which a chotis was even dedicated: “Water from the fountain, the best that Madrid drinks…”.
The subsoil of the capital is full of natural streams and water trips; the oldest, from the Muslim era. Each one has its own story, and, at the same time, they help us to explain the urban planning of the city. This is especially true on the Castellana-Recoletos-Prado axis, a fundamental route because it connects the north with the south.
Until 1914, in the current Emilio Castelar square there was the Castellana fountain, which collected its water from a stream of the same name. Buried since the 19th century, the Castellana fountain stream followed exactly the same route as the Paseo de la Castellana and those of Recoletos and Prado.
In the 16th century, this stream marked the end of the urban area on the western flank. On the other side there were some meadows belonging to the convents of the Jerónimos, the Agustinos Recoletos and Atocha, which was known as the “Old Prado”.
Well, in 1570, shortly after making Madrid the capital, King Philip II decided to beautify the area so that it could be a recreational area. The blocks of houses on the eastern side, which until then ended irregularly, were aligned and trees were planted.
In 1625, when the construction of the Felipe IV fence began, the new avenue, which was called Jerónimos, was enclosed to the north by the Alcalá gate and to the south by the Atocha gate. The entire neighborhood, including the Prado Viejo and the new Buen Retiro palace, was now within that wall, which did not have a defensive function, but rather a fiscal one. Little more can be said, except that in the following years the place fell into a certain abandonment, and the aristocrats and bourgeoisie stopped going for walks there.
The one who recovered the promenade and gave it its current appearance was Charles III, who wanted to “sanitize” and beautify Madrid in an enlightened sense. He opened avenues, paved and illuminated the streets, improved sanitation and carried out unique projects such as the new Alcalá Gate, the Prado Museum, the San Carlos Hospital or the Botanical Garden, earning him the nickname “the best mayor of Madrid.” ”.
The reform of the axis in question fell to the architect José de Hermosilla (1715-1776), who divided it into three sections separated by fountains in neoclassical style. The first, which corresponds to the current Prado promenade, went from Cybele to Neptune, with the Apollo fountain in the center. The second continued towards the south, ending in a monumental roundabout, the so-called Cuatro Fuentes, at the beginning of the Botanical Garden. The final section followed the façade of that garden to the Puerta de Atocha, where the Alcachofa fountain was, today relocated to the Retiro park.
That is to say, from source to source we can explain how the Prado, one of the most distinguished places in Madrid, has changed. And, since we are talking about water, a secret remains to be revealed.
Those who have seen the third season of the series La casa de papel will remember the scene in which the vault of the Bank of Spain is flooded with water from the Cibeles fountain. Well, it's a half-truth. In the event of theft, the part that would be flooded is a pit immediately before the gold bullion room. And yes, the goddess would put the water.
