Pilar del Toro (Fuente) - Granada

The Pilar del Toro was the last work of Diego de Siloé and dates from the mid-16th century.

Although it now occupies one of the corners of the Plaza Nueva, opposite the Church of Santa Ana , until 1940 it stood at the intersection of Cárcel Baja and Elvira streets, next to the descent of the Calderería Nueva.

The column was attached to a house, in the place where there was a small square, opposite an inn. It was used as a watering place for animals and as a water supply for the residents of the area.

This column is made of Sierra Elvira stone. It is supported by a smooth wall and consists of a rectangular basin with a rounded profile at the bottom.

The name refers to the bull's head in the center of the facade. The bull, whose nostrils spout water , is accompanied by two young men , one on each side, who sit on the edge of the pelvis. Under the head of the bull are figures of sea creatures with their tails to each other.

The obverse is surmounted by a triangular cornice with the coat of arms of the city of Granada in the centre . Above the coat of arms is a fruit-decorated pedestal on which stands the Virgin of the Pilar.

As a curiosity, the Pilar del Toro was known for a long time as the pillar of the Almireceros or Almizcleros.

Willem Vandenameele