🐻The Bear and the Strawberry Tree: Heart of Madrid in Bronze🍓
Right in the lively Puerta del Sol, the very center of Madrid, stands one of the city’s most beloved monuments: El Oso y el Madroño. The Bear and the Strawberry Tree. More than a sculpture, it’s a symbol, a story, and a meeting point that has quietly witnessed decades of life passing by in the capital. 💛
Unveiled on a freezing January 10th, 1967, after a heavy snowstorm ❄️, the sculpture was greeted with ceremony and pride.
The artist, Antonio Navarro Santafé, wasn’t born in Madrid, but he felt madrileño to the core. He once said that if bronze could weep, his bear would cry with him out of gratitude for having been placed in the heart of the city.
📏 The statue stands nearly 5 meters tall (4.72 m), made of bronze and stone, resting on a granite pedestal.
🪨 Today, it’s commonly said to weigh around 20 tons, but according to Navarro Santafé himself in 1966, the entire monument weighed about 6.5 tons, with the bear and tree sculpture weighing just 500 kg.
A case of changing numbers over time or simply the weight of legend? 😉
🌳 The composition shows a bear standing on its hind legs, reaching up to nibble the fruit of the madroño (strawberry tree). This isn’t just decorative: it reflects a historic agreement from the 13th century, when the church and the city council divided up rights to Madrid’s land. The clergy took control of pastures, and the council took the trees hence the bear embracing the tree became part of Madrid’s coat of arms.
🐾 Fun fact: the bear was modeled after a real brown bear, captured in the Picos de Europa and housed in Madrid’s old zoo. Like the lions outside Spain’s Parliament, this bear has no visible masculine features, likely hidden under its thick bronze fur a small but often noticed detail!
📍Since its installation, the sculpture has moved several times within Puerta del Sol.
In 2023, it was placed at the northern arch of the plaza, where it continues to welcome tourists, selfies, and curious glances.
📸 Travel tip: No visit to Madrid is complete without a photo here, with the city’s heart, in bronze, right behind you.
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