Madrid: Sabatini, the Puerta de Alcalá and the solstice of each day

It is said, it is said and rumored that Sabatini, supposedly motivated by a historical error of interpretation -which could well be considered as a real and Bourbon misunderstanding-, being chosen as an architect to undertake the lifting of the Puerta de Alcalá, and not knowing exactly which of the two projects presented had been chosen by Carlos IV -which king who went down in history as 'the best mayor of Madrid' for his projects of a public and urban nature-, merged both projects into one, so that This, visited by thousands of tourists every day, and not exaggerated, I see it every day, has two faces, as said that popular coplilla, which has the false coin and so much likes to sing to the gypsy. In fact, since there is no evil that does not come well, that detail is part of their 'qualities', although it is not easy to determine if it results in the background known by own and foreigners, who do not miss the chance to photograph themselves, taking it as a backdrop.

It is also true that there is nothing written about tastes, obviously, and there will be some who consider that it is quite brief, mazacotic -possibly, I have just invented a curse- and macarrónica -said, as a matter of progeny and philoclassic roots-, about everything if we compare it with the decoration of other similar doors, such as the Parisian Arc de Triomphe or the robust, matronly and very famous Brandenburg Gate. Nor is it a question of adding or removing programs-sorry, I say merits-and suffice it to know, that after all, the Puerta de Alcalá is one of the emblems of Madrid -like the neighboring fountain of Cibeles, the not so distant fountain of Neptune and the main witness of the zero kilometer of the Puerta del Sol, which is the Bear, Osa actually and live the Matriarcado, and the Madroño - and we like it more or like it less, it is true that we like to know that there you are seeing pass the time, as it was sung by Víctor Manuel and Ana Belén.

That said, and as every day we are both practically face, in that intimate moment in which the Sun and the Aurora say goodbye with a strong kiss on the mouth, I wonder if maybe Sabatini, taking an example of his Romanesque precursors , who were so fond of dazzling the vulgar with the miracles of the solstitial geometries - take into consideration, for example, that ray of the Sun that coincides with the summer solstice illuminates the capital of the Nativity for a few minutes, in the monastery church burgalés de San Juan de Ortega-, did not do the same on our door, making it, as it was stretching, made an effect that we could call -is a suggestion- 'arco et orbi', passing, gradually and from left to right, As we climbed Alcalá Street in the direction of Plaza de la Independencia, through all the arches, offering a show, at least, inspiring and worth seeing.

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