Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Spain Madrid The Lady of Cerro de los Santos

The Lady of Cerro de los Santos

This enigmatic artifact is a rare depiction of an ancient Iberian noblewoman.

Madrid, Spain

Added By
Mictlān Tēcutli
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Lady of Cerro de Los Santos   Luis García/cc by-sa 3.0
Full view of the Lady   Richard Mortel/cc by 2.0
The lady with her offering.   jacinta lluch valero/cc by-sa 2.0
The lady seen from the side.   Miguel Hermoso Cuesta/cc by-sa 4.0
The National Museum of Archeology in Madrid.   J.L. De Diego/public domain
profile image showing the complex headdress of the offering lady   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
The Lady   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Great Lady Offerant   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

With her big hair, wide staring eyes, fierce femininity, and air of the supernatural, this intriguing sculpture on display at the National Museum of Archeology in Madrid could almost be the doppelganger of the queen of gothic rock and postpunk, Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees. In reality, it is a rare depiction of a wealthy woman from ancient Iberia, dating back to the 3rd or 2nd century BC.

Unlike the bewitching "Lady of Elche" figure also displayed at the museum, the Lady of Cerro de los Santos does not portray a goddess but rather an aristocrat. Sculpted carrying a vase that contains an offering to the gods, probably of wine or honey, she is a rare depiction of a mortal woman, giving an important indication of how female members of the ancient Iberian nobility would likely have dressed and worshipped.

Many archeologists believe that it was a custom in Iberia for wealthy women to commission an artisan to create a sculpture in their likeness. This sculpture would then be placed in a temple as an offering to native deities such as Duillae, the goddesses of fertility, or Ataecina, the goddess of the underworld. This religious gesture was believed to secure good fortune, grant wishes, and ensure the blessings of the gods in both life and the afterlife. 

Ultimately, it is impossible to decipher exactly whose likeness was sculpted in the form of the Lady of Cerro de los Santos, nor can we know what the woman was hoping to achieve by placing a sculpture of herself in the temple. All these intriguing details have been lost to the sands of time, but a consolation left to us by history is this wonderfully enigmatic statue that has survived the millennia intact.

Related Tags

Ancient Sculptures Archaeology Women Museums Museums And Collections Artifacts

Know Before You Go

You can find this sculpture in the "Protohistoria" gallery of the National Museum of Archeology in Madrid. She is located just across the room from the Lady of Elche. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The entrance fee is €3 if you are a foreign national or € 1 if you are a Spaniard.

Community Contributors

Added By

Monsieur Mictlan

Edited By

Luis Morato, Xavixavir

  • Luis Morato
  • Xavixavir

Published

March 4, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The Lady of Cerro de los Santos
20-22 Paseo de Recoletos
Madrid
Spain
40.423553, -3.689402
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Costitx Bulls

Madrid, Spain

miles away

The Lady of Elche

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Guanche Mummy of Madrid

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Madrid

Madrid

Spain

Places 117
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Costitx Bulls

Madrid, Spain

miles away

The Lady of Elche

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Guanche Mummy of Madrid

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Madrid

Madrid

Spain

Places 117
Stories 2

Related Places

  • One of the Olmec stone heads believed to depict ancient kings.

    Xalapa, Mexico

    Xalapa Museum of Anthropology

    The largest collection of artifacts from the Olmec civilization, the mother culture of Mesoamerica.

  • The Woodeaton wolf-god.

    London, England

    Wolf-God of Woodeaton

    A gruesome and mysterious ancient sculpture of a pagan deity from the Roman occupation of Celtic Britain.

  •  A whale skeleton on display outside of the museum.

    Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

    Museo de Historia Natural

    Fossilized remains tell the story of the region’s past inside this small, unassuming museum.

  • A Phoenician lion head.

    Rome, Italy

    Museo Barracco di Scultura Antica

    An expansive collection donated by an heirless nobleman formed this admission-free civic museum.

  • Silchester Eagle

    Reading, England

    Silchester Eagle

    Once believed to be a sacred Roman legionary symbol, this bronze figure inspired the 1954 novel 'The Eagle of the Ninth.'

  • Esie Stone Figurines

    Esie, Nigeria

    Esie Figurines

    More than 1,000 stone figures were discovered in a small Nigerian town, where they had been sitting for centuries.

  • Shabti figurines in the museum

    Turin, Italy

    Egyptian Museum of Turin

    One of the oldest and most significant collections of Ancient Egyptian archeology outside of Egypt.

  • The museum entrance.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Museo Dolores Olmedo

    This extraordinary art museum is like a secret world on the edge of Mexico City.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.