Madrid · ES

Fuentes de las Cuatro Estaciones

On the leafy central boulevard of Madrid's Paseo del Prado stands the Fountain of the Four Seasons, better known to locals as the Fuente de Apolo. A neoclassical monument of stone and running water, it raises the sun god Apollo on a pedestal ringed by four allegorical figures — one for each season — that give the fountain its evocative popular name. Conceived in 1777 by the architect Ventura Rodríguez for the royal embellishment of the Salón del Prado under King Carlos III, the fountain is one of the great showpieces of the 'Paseo del Arte'. It was finished only in 1802 and inaugurated to mark the wedding of the future Fernando VII, and today it is recognized as one of the finest works of Spanish neoclassicism. The fountain sits in the tree-lined median between the Cibeles and Neptuno fountains, and since 2021 it forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage 'Paisaje de la Luz' (Light of Knowledge landscape). It is an open-air monument, free to visit at any hour, and the gently sloping water and sculpted figures make it a favourite stop for families and photographers.