Calle Leo
Named after Leo, the zodiacal constellation of the Lion, part of the celestial repertoire that named the streets of the Estrella neighbourhood.
When the Urbis property company built this corner of the Retiro district in the fifties and sixties, it decided its streets should look to the heavens. From that came a map of the sky drawn on the asphalt: Sirio, Estrella Polar, Cruz del Sur, Perseo, Lira, Piscis. The calle Leo takes its place in that constellation of names.
Leo is the zodiacal constellation of the Lion, one of the oldest recognised by the peoples of the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, who already saw the beast in that group of stars. Its brightest star, Regulus, marks the heart of the Lion and is easily picked out on spring nights.
The neighbourhood’s own name allows two readings: some trace it to the insurance company La Estrella; others link it to the Star of Bethlehem. Either way, to stroll here is to walk among stars and celestial animals.