Puerta del Sol, Vallekas

In 1951, when cars were still allowed to circulate, these twin fountains were designed by architect Manuel Herrero Palacios as part of a renovation of the Puerta del Sol in the heart of Madrid city center. Herrero Palacios was inspired by Madrid's Baroque style and incorporated innovative elements into these fountains, with a nine-meter-diameter granite basin located 26 meters apart. Each fountain had 190 holes that sprayed water. The Puerta del Sol thus recovered a piece of its past, marked by the presence of water, especially thanks to the famous Fuente de La Flor (flower's fountain), better known as Fuente de Mariblanca, which presided over it between 1625 and 1847. Herrero Palacios' fountains remained in the center of Sol for more than three decades. During the 1986 renovation, they were moved to Vallecas, to the Paseo de Federico García Lorca, where they now rest in retirement in a more peaceful setting.