Mariblanca

Statue of Mariblanca, in its current location in Casa de la Villa, in Madrid.

Inscription on the pedestal roughly translates as: " Venus statue called the Mariblanca. Replica and recollection of that which was situated in the Puerta del Sol before its refurbishment in the mid-19th Century - (dated: 1986)"

The statues known as Mariblanca are female figures of uncertain origin which may relate to the fertility goddesses Venus or Fortuna.

The name, which is common in Spanish relates to a statue which was purchased in the year 1625 by a Florentine merchant Ludovico Turchi as a gift to crown the lost Fountain of Faith in Madrid.^[1]

It is now the only element that remains of this monumental fountain, which was located on the church of Good Faith, which formerly stood in the Puerta del Sol.

There are now a number of copies and similar statues also known as Mariblanca. The origin of which is uncertain, but may relate to a religious anxiety related to idolatry or pagan representations of purity, fertility and grace other than those associated with the Virgin Mary.

Mariblanca also serves as a female Christian name.

See Also

• Fountain de La Mariblanca
• Fountain of the Harpies

References

1. «El museo desconocido». El País. Spanish article viewed 21 October 2013.

Coordinates: 40°25′01″N 3°42′16″W / 40.41694°N 3.70444°W