plaza de Cibeles

At the intersection of Paseo del Prado, Calle de Alcala and Paseo de Recoletos stands the Cibeles fountain, Madrid's postcard view by default. Designed in 1782 by Ventura Rodriguez, it shows the Phrygian earth goddess Cybele riding a chariot drawn by lions; it once formed the southern terminus of the city's Sierra water supply. Opposite rises Antonio Palacios's white Palacio de Cibeles, completed in 1919 as the central post office and now the city hall, whose bell tower serves Real Madrid fans as a trophy stage: after league titles, the goddess's neck gets wrapped in a club scarf. On any normal day, eight lanes of traffic swirl around the island.