Fountain of Cibeles
by Joan Carroll
Title
Fountain of Cibeles
Artist
Joan Carroll
Medium
Photograph - Digital Art
Description
The warm late afternoon sun highlights the Fountain of Cibeles (Cybele) in Madrid. Lovely as the fountain is, it sits in the center of the Plaza de Cibeles, a busy major traffic roundabout and so must be viewed only from the sidewalks from various places around the plaza. For a photographer it is very frustrating since the ideal view exists only if the traffic comes to a halt! My next attempt will be at night so that maybe the lights from the traffic will be enchanting rather than bothersome! Nevertheless, the fountain of Cibeles (Cybele) has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid. This fountain is named after Cybele, a Greek goddess of fertility and nature who had a significant cult in Rome. The fountain depicts the goddess holding a sceptre and a key while sitting on a chariot pulled by two lions. The pull of the wild lions symbolize the power of nature or of the goddess. The fountain of Cybele has been adopted by the football club Real Madrid, whose fans use the area to celebrate its. A flag of Real Madrid is usually wrapped around the Cybele statue. The most prominent of the buildings at the Plaza de Cibeles is the Cybele Palace seen in the background (formerly named Palace of Communication). The cathedral-like landmark was built in 1909 by Antonio Palacios as the headquarters of the postal service. This impressive building was home to the Postal and Telegraphic Museum until 2007 when the landmark building became the Madrid City Hall (Ayuntamiento de Madrid).
FEATURED PHOTO, Spanish Theme Artwork group, 2/7/15
Uploaded
February 7th, 2015
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Viewed 3,716 Times - Last Visitor from Washington, DC on 03/26/2024 at 9:23 PM
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