Dog Fountain

Step closer and look carefully at the spouts: they are three lion heads, not dogs. And yet this is the Fuente del Perro, the Dog Fountain, on Calle del Perro, Txakur kalea in Basque. Few things amuse Bilbao people as much as arguing about why.

1A Neoclassical fountain

The fountain was built around 1800 in Neoclassical style: it imitates a small classical temple, and its trough recalls a sarcophagus. It used to be known as the San Miguel spouts. For decades it supplied water to the neighbours, and today it is one of the most photographed corners of the Old Town.

2Three explanations

The most common version says the people of Bilbao had never seen a lion and mistook the heads for dogs. It makes little sense: the lion appeared on countless coats of arms, and in any case there would be three dogs, not one. Another story says a neighbour carved a lion to guard his house, made such a poor job of it that the whole street started calling it “the dog”, and the nickname ended up naming the street.

The documentary trail points the other way: according to the archivist Manuel Basas, a document from 1853 already mentions a drinking trough for animals on the Calle del Perro side of the San Miguel fountain.

In other words, the street probably already had its name and it was the street that christened the fountain. Where the street’s name came from, however, is still unclear.

3What to look for

• The three lion heads, each with its own spout.
• The triangular pediment and its inscription.
• The bilingual plaque summing up the fountain’s history.