Issue date: 14 Jun, 2019
CENTENARY OF CIBELES PALACE
Once known as the Palace of Communications, Cibeles Palace is an imposing building on Plaza de Cibeles, from which it takes its name. Designed to be the hub of all communications in Spain, this building was officially opened on 14 March 1919.
Witness to a century of history in a rapidly changing Madrid, surrounded by relentless traffic and flanked by other great architectural works such as Bank of Spain and Linares Palace, Cibeles Palace is as busy now as it was a century ago.
Its architects, Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi, intended the building to be completely functional but with the appearance of a great palace. The building had to house the postal and telegraph services, and, at the time, also the telephone service and the Postal Savings Bank.
The main part of the building housed the sorting hall, known as the Sala de Batalla (Battle Room), which is now the plenary chamber of Madrid City Council. Behind it, on Pasaje de Alarcon you could see scenes that now appear quaint, such as the post office vehicles ready to go out on delivery.
The front of the building, the main motif of the chalcography on the mini sheet commemorating this very special centenary for Correos, depicts different sculptures of great value by the artist Ángel García, such as a female figure emerging from foliage, which the people of Madrid at the time named (the blonde) as it was said that the model who inspired it had blonde hair.
The stamp includes a detail of the main entrance, with an arch where we can see “the blonde” and large columns reminiscent of Egyptian architecture. The Spanish coat of arms on the arch hides a secret; at the centre of the crest, Palacios, who was Galician-born, carved the crest of Galicia. The mini sheet has AR
100 years, significant changes to its interior, and an image that hasn’t changed for the people of Madrid, nor indeed the people of Spain.
Rate A - €0.75. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, up to 20 g.
Rate A2 - €0.85. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, between 20 g and 50 g.
Rate B - €1.65. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to Europe (including Greenland), up to 20 g.
Rate C - €1.75. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the rest of the world (except USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand), up to 20 g.
Rate D - €2.10. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, up to 20 g.