Calle de la Fuente del Berro

The street takes its name from the spring, documented since 1470, that rose beside the Abroñigal stream, east of Madrid. The name refers to watercress (Nasturtium officinale), which grew on the spring’s damp banks, whose waters were favoured by the Spanish Crown for centuries.

Before the estate had an official name, the water did. From 1470 the documents mention a spring among the vegetable gardens, and the plant growing on its banks ended up naming it: watercress (Nasturtium officinale), a crucifer that clings to the edges of streams. Hence the Fuente del Berro. In 1630 the Constable of Castile sold the estate to Philip IV. The water travelled by mule to the Buen Retiro, and in 1686 Marie Louise of Orléans ordered that all the water served in the Alcázar come from here. Charles III protected the spout with a small building and gave it three taps: one for the royal family, one for the public and one for the estate. That is why it was also called Fuente del Rey, though the watercress name won out. The street runs between Alcalá and Jorge Juan, in the Goya neighbourhood. The spring kept flowing until 1977, when it was closed for contamination. The spout preserved beside the park still gives water, but it now comes from the Canal de Isabel II.

Sources (6)