Museo Los Caños del Peral
Museum space in the Ópera metro station, with remains of the Caños del Peral fountain and of a 16th-century aqueduct.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
About ten metres below Plaza de Isabel II, Ópera metro station houses a museum recreation of the Caños del Peral fountain. The visit introduces a public fountain that collected spring water beside the Arroyo del Arenal in the second half of the 16th century and that originally measured 34 metres in length.
At the beginning of the 16th century water did not yet reach Madrid's houses, and supply depended on cisterns and basins installed in squares and beside gates and walls. In the early modern period public fountains gradually replaced the cisterns, and what can be seen today at Ópera is part of one of them. The fountain had six spouts (caños) with their basins; the water came from the spring of the aguas gordas (“thick waters”) in the Plazuela de los Caños and reached this point through the Amaniel aqueduct.
The route also shows the supply gallery with barrel vault, the local sewer, and the aqueduct that supplied water to the Royal Palace from the 17th century until nearly the 20th century.
The space forms part of the Museos de Metro, a project of the Comunidad de Madrid developed by Metro de Madrid to recover and disseminate its historical and archaeological heritage in a “museo disperso” (scattered museum) spread across the network.
Highlights
- Re-creation of the 16th-century Caños del Peral fountain
- Supply gallery with barrel vault
- Aqueduct that supplied water to the Royal Palace
- Free guided visit with a specialist guide
Permanent exhibition
- Recreación museística de la fuente de los Caños del Peral – Remains and re-creation of the 16th-century public fountain, the supply gallery with barrel vault, the sewer and the aqueduct that supplied the Royal Palace.
- Operated by
- Metro de Madrid / Comunidad de Madrid (Museos de Metro)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free visit, with advance booking. A transport ticket is required to enter the museum. Free guided visit with a specialist guide, in groups of up to 28 people.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The space is adapted for people with reduced mobility.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Metro Ópera
Metro: Ópera (lines 2, 5 and the Ramal Norte, or North branch), at Plaza de Isabel II.
The museum is inside Ópera metro station, about ten metres below Plaza de Isabel II.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 40 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Access only with advance booking on the Museos Metro de Madrid website. The guided visit is free, is led by a specialist guide and lasts 30 to 40 minutes, with groups of up to 28 people. A transport ticket is required for access. |
