Welcome to Madrid, Spain
Home of The Bear and the Strawberry Tree
Located in Madrid’s famous Puerta del Sol, the iconic statue of The Bear and the Strawberry Tree is my favorite statue in Madrid. The bronze statue shows a burly bear standing on its hind feet as it searches for fruit among the leaves of a strawberry tree. The sculptor Antonio Navarro Santafé created this statue in 1967.
The bear and the strawberry tree have been part of Madrid’s history since the early 1200s. The bear was part of a military logo when the King’s knights charged into Las Navas de Tolosa against the Moors. The strawberry tree was a significant plant. People in Southern Europe once believed its leaves could help cure the plague.
