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TheMonument to Philip IV orFountain of Philip IV is a memorial toPhilip IV of Spain in the centre ofPlaza de Oriente inMadrid,Spain.[1] It was raised at the insistence ofIsabella II of Spain in the first half of the 19th century, opening on 17 November 1843, a year beforeNarciso Pascual y Colomer came up with the square's final layout. However, its equestrian statue of the king dates to the 17th century and was produced by the Italian sculptorPietro Tacca.[1][2] It was begun in 1634 and shipped to Madrid in 1640, the year of his death. The sculpture, atop a complicated fountain composition, forms the centerpiece of the façade of the Royal Palace. The statue was based in drawings byDiego Velázquez and a bust byJuan Martínez Montañés (who also collaborated on the work).[1][2] The daring stability of the statue was calculated by Galileo Galilei: the horse rears, and the entire weight of the sculpture balances on the two rear legs—and, discreetly, its tail— a feat that had never been attempted in a figure on a heroic scale, of which Leonardo had dreamed.
40°25′06″N3°42′44″W / 40.41833°N 3.71220°W /40.41833; -3.71220
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