If your Madrid travel plans include a train at Atocha Station, make time to savor the Ministry of Agriculture Building across the street called Paseo de la Infanta Isabel. The Palacio de Fomento was designed by the prolific and gifted architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco and opened in 1897. Most fascinating is the Neoclassical façade’s artwork. The two female caryatides flanking the entrance represent Industry and Commerce. The ensemble along the roofline are copies of sculptures created by Agustí Querol Subirates in 1906. In the center are allegories for Science, Art and Glory. On either side are winged horses from Greek mythology. The artist called this collection La Gloria of los Pegasos. Look closely and you will notice even the street lamps are adorned with busts.
