Another familiar Madrid landmark that stands out as prominently as the bow of ship is this French-built 1911 structure designed by the brothers Jules and Raymond Février for the Union and Fenix Insurance Company. Topped by the bust of a phoenix symbolizing winged victory, its ornate dome of dark slate and interwoven gilt decor towers above the junction of Alcalá and the beginnings of the Gran Vía. Colonnaded floors have statues representing Trade, Agriculture, Industry, and Mining. Now owned by the Metropolis insurance company, it has remained largely unchanged in appearance since the beginning of the century (though the phoenix was replaced by a newer one in the 1970s). Unfortunately the building is not open to the public, so its charms can only be viewed from outside.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Madrid, 3rd Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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