Fuente de Cibeles | |
---|---|
en: Fountain of Cybele | |
Artist | Ventura Rodríguez |
Year | 1980 |
Medium | Bronze |
Subject | Cybele |
Dimensions | 5.5 m× 4.7 m× 12.5 m(18 ft× 15 ft× 41 ft) |
Weight | 12 tons |
Location | Mexico City |
19°25′12″N99°09′59″W / 19.42000°N 99.16639°W |
The Fountain of Cybele (Spanish : Fuente de Cibeles) in Mexico City is a bronze statue installed in Colonia Roma in 1980, and refurbished in 2011. A symbol of brotherhood between the Spanish and Mexican communities, it is a replica of the fountain located in the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid that was built by architect Ventura Rodríguez between 1777 and 1792. The Mexican version is located at a traffic circle in Plaza Villa de Madrid, where Oaxaca, Durango, Medellín and El Oro streets converge in Colonia Roma. The plaza and statue are considered emblematic sights of Mexico City. [1]
The goddess Cybele, Roman goddess of fertility, wears a crown and carries a scepter and key, symbols of her power over Earth and the seasons. Her carriage is pulled by two lions representing Hippomenes and his wife Atalanta, one of the huntresses of the goddess Diana, both turned into lions by Zeus. [2]
The fountain was inaugurated on September 5, 1980, by Mexican President José López Portillo, Madrid mayor, Enrique Tierno Galván and Mexico City mayor Carlos Hank González. [3] Féretro
The fountain is located in a plaza which used to be the Plaza of Miraville "created in the 19th century at the intersection of the antique carriageway of access to the lands that belonged to the family of the third Countess of Miravalle". [2] Today they are Durango and Oaxaca streets. Underneath this plaza there was a well that served as the main source of drinking water for the Colonia Roma . [2] This copy of the Spanish fountain was donated by Spanish immigrants to Mexico.
In 2011, the then mayor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard, announced that the fountain was one of the 67 monuments to receive maintenance and refurbishment. The renovation included the "reintegration of missing pieces, restoration of bronze sculptures, rehabilitation of the water system, improvement of green areas and illumination with the objective of reducing electrical energy spending [by] 30%”. [4] The re-inauguration of the fountain was on January 21, 2011, by the same mayor, the Spanish ambassador to Mexico Manuel Alabart, and Secretary of Works and Services of the Government of the Federal District, Fernando Aboitiz. [4]
The sculptural group measures approximately 12.5 meters long, 4.7 meters in width and 5.5 meters tall with a weight of 12 tons. [3] It is located two blocks away from Metro Insurgentes and two blocks away from the Durango Metrobus station at the crossing of four streets: Oaxaca, Durango, Medellin and El Oro.
The fountain is located in the middle of a traffic circle surrounded by stores and restaurants that make up the Plaza Cibeles. Once a week, a flea market is set up, commonly known as "el tianguis de la Cibeles" or "el bazar de Oro". [5]
The fountain was donated by the community of Spanish residents in Mexico and was "erected as a symbol of brotherhood between both metropolises", Mexico City and Madrid. [3]
The ambassador of Spain in Mexico, Manuel Alabart, thanked the head of government of the Federal District Marcelo Ebrard for the renovations made in 2011 of what he called an "emblematic space" making Madrid and Mexico City closer, as well as for the "warmth and hospitality the city gives to almost 40 thousand Spanish that live in the Federal District". [4] Ebrard also mentioned the importance of the emblematic work of the refurbishment that "strengthens the ties of friendship between Spain and Mexico". [6]
Even the business district surrounding the Plaza Cibeles is known for its Madrilenian style and influence. [7] It has also become a tradition for the fountain to be invaded by fans of the Spanish soccer team in celebration of its victories. [8] [9]
Insurgentes is a station on the Line 1 of Mexico City Metro. It is located within the Glorieta de los Insurgentes at the intersection of Avenida de los Insurgentes and Avenida Chapultepec in Mexico City's Cuauhtémoc borough, close to the Zona Rosa shopping and entertainment district and the Colonia Roma, two of the most iconic neighborhoods in the city. In 2019, the station had an average ridership of 65,134 passengers per day, making it the 12th busiest station in the network. Since 9 November 2023, the station has remained closed for modernization work on the tunnel and the line's technical equipment.
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The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become a symbol for the city of Madrid. It sits at the intersection of Calle de Alcalá, Paseo de Recoletos and Paseo del Prado. 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.
Colonia Roma, also called La Roma or simply, Roma, is a district located in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City just west of the city's historic center. The area comprises two colonias: Roma Norte and Roma Sur, divided by Coahuila street.
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Cybele is an ancient goddess of fertility. Cybele may also refer to:
Tlaxcoaque is a plaza located in the historic center of Mexico City which has given its name to both the 17th-century church that is on it and the blocks that surround it. Historically this plaza and the church that sits on it have marked the southern edge of Mexico City, and today it is on the border of the historic center and Colonia Obrera. The church and plaza are somewhat isolated from the rest of the center due to the construction of wide streets, such as 20 de Noviembre and Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, that separate them from the surrounding buildings. Another notable building in this area is the police surveillance station, which was infamous in the 1970s as a place where detainees were tortured. This stopped after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake exposed handcuffed bodies which had evidence of torture on them. Today, the area around this plaza is semi-deserted outside of work hours and is considered to be a high-crime area. The church itself has experienced break-ins.
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This article covers the history of the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City.
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Glorieta de Insurgentes is a large roundabout in Mexico City formed at the intersection of Avenida Chapultepec and Avenida de los Insurgentes. Oaxaca Avenue connects to it heading southwest to Fuente de Cibeles. The smaller street Génova connects to Zona Rosa. Jalapa connects via one-way traffic from Colonia Roma.
The Fountain of Cybele is a neoclassical fountain in Madrid, Spain. It lies on the centre of the Plaza de Cibeles. The sculptural group in its centre represents Cybele, a Phrygian earth and fertility deity. It has become one of the icons of the city.
The Fuente de la República is a carbon steel fountain and sculpture installed in Mexico City, Mexico. It was inaugurated on 13 December 2007 by Marcelo Ebrard, the Federal District's head of government, and was placed at the intersection of Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, Avenida Juárez and Avenida Bucareli, in the Cuauhtémoc borough. The fountain was created specifically for the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the country's independence in 2010. It was designed by Manuel Felguérez, who also designed the Puerta 1808 sculpture found in front of it.