The landmark returns, the Cuatro Caminos totem returns

We are celebrating!!! It has been a long time, 85 years, but thankfully it has come back to us: the totem of Cuatro Caminos has returned to its "home" at Reina Victoria to illuminate the way of the people of Madrid and guide them to the inside of a station that has been refurbished for the first time and that holds some interesting surprises

11/04/2022 - A century ago, life in Madrid was very different from today. There was no internet, no mobile phones, no Google Maps and none of the apps that now help us get around the big city. Metro had just launched its first line and had already foreseen the importance of its passengers finding stations easily on the street. How? Thanks to large lampposts, more than six metres high, which stood out in the grid of Madrid's streets to guide travellers to their station.

These structures or totems were crowned with the old Metro diamond, were rectangular and replicated the original Metro colours of red and white. Because of their size and lighting, they were very easy to see from a distance and in a very short time they became one of Madrid's hallmarks, a popular landmark that is now back in Cuatro Caminos.

This totem is the most visible part of the modernisation carried out in Cuatro Caminos, but it is not the only surprise you will find when you pass by it. Aside from the improvements made to the main hall and the distribution corridors on lines 1 and 2, and to the platforms, Metro has themed the station to make it a tribute to the history of the underground and its workers. It is not in vain that Cuatro Caminos is one of the eight stations of the first section inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII (Sol - Cuatro Caminos) on 17 October 1919, and that means a lot to our history.

For this reason, all travellers can enjoy a series of seven canvases and two paintings placed over the tracks and on the wall crossings related to the history of the Metro and of Madrid. One of them occupies the entire platform of line 2 and is, frankly, spectacular. If you're crazy about Metro, our best advice is to go and see it as soon as possible: it's a great experience you won't regret.

But if you're short of time or you can't travel to this station, here's a small selection of images and comments that have appeared over the last few days on social media and perfectly illustrate the rebirth of the Cuatro Caminos totem pole. Enjoy!