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Plaza de Cibeles is one of the most important and scenic plazas in Madrid. Calle de Alcalá, which is the longest street in Madrid, runs through it.
Everything in this entry up to Buenavista Palace is included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences.
Cybele Fountain
The centerpiece of the plaza is the Cybele Fountain (Fuente de Cibeles). It was commissioned by Ventura Rodríguez (1717-1785) and built between 1777 and 1782. The fountain was placed in its current location in 1895. There are also nice views down Calle de Alcalá towards Gran Vía to the west and the Alcalá Gate (Puerta de Alcalá) to the east.
Cybele Palace
There are four buildings lining Plaza de Cibeles. The most prominent is Cybele Palace (Palacio de Cibeles), formerly known as the Palace of Communications (Palacio de Comunicaciones), which sits at the southeast corner. The building opened in 1919 as the headquarters of Correos, Spain’s national postal service, but has been the home of the Madrid City Council since 2007. It’s one of the city’s most beautiful structures.
Some of the best views of the city can be found from the building at the Mirador Palacio de Cibeles, which costs €3 to visit (as of October 2023). It’s open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 1:45pm and 3pm to 7:30pm. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations during my latest visit.
Linares Palace
On the northeast corner is the Linares Palace (Palacio de Linares), which was built between 1877 and 1900. It now houses the Casa de América, an important cultural center with the aim of strengthening ties between Spain and countries in the Americas. Guided visits take place at set times from Friday through Sunday for €8 (as of October 2023).
Bank of Spain
The Bank of Spain (Banco de España) is on the southwest corner. Built between 1884 and 1891, this massive building contains the offices of the country’s banking system.
Buenavista Palace
Across the street on the northwest corner is Buenavista Palace (Palacio Buenavista), the headquarters of the Spanish armed forces. It’s not visible because of several trees and its setting further back from the road.
Cervantes Institute
Walking towards Gran Vía down Calle de Alcalá, west of Plaza de Cibeles, are a few interesting buildings. First, on the north side of the street is the Caryatid Building (Edificio de Las Cariátides), which has housed the Cervantes Institute (Instituto Cervantes) since October 2006.
The Cervantes institute was founded in 1991 by the Spanish government and named after Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote. It’s the world’s largest organization dedicated to the promotion of Spanish language and culture. The building was built between 1911 and 1918 by Spanish architect Antonio Palacios and originally functioned as a bank.
Church of San José
Next is the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration (Ministerio de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas), followed by the Church of San José (Iglesia de San José). The church was built between 1730 and 1748 and was once part of the Convent of San Hermenegildo (Convento de San Hermenegildo). The buildings of the convent were destroyed in 1910 to make way for the construction of Gran Vía. Spanish playwright Lope de Vega celebrated his first mass in the church after being ordained a priest in 1614.
Circle of Fine Arts
On the south side of the street is the Circle of Fine Arts (Círculo de Bellas Artes). It was built by Antonio Palacios between 1921 and 1926. The Circle of Fine Arts is a private non-profit cultural organization founded in 1880. The building hosts art exhibitions, workshops, and conferences, and contains a rooftop terrace café with excellent views of Madrid.
Zurich Building
Next door is the Zurich Building (Edificio Zurich), which is a mixed residential and office building with some retail space.
Plaza de Colón
North of Plaza de Cibeles is Plaza de Colón, where there’s a large monument to Christopher Columbus. It was dedicated in 1885 and depicts Columbus standing at the top of a column.
The world’s largest Spanish flag also flies at the plaza and there are gardens in the center.
Plaza de Alonso Martínez
Walking northwest from Plaza de Colón down Calle de Génova is Plaza de Alonso Martínez.
