Madrid monuments and things to see
Calle Libertad, where a number of traditional Madrid restaurants are clustered, leads to the attractive Plaza de Chueca, a square named after the famous paso doble composer, Federico Chueca (1846-1908). During the day it is a meeting place for local residents, at night the plaza becomes a popular rendezvous. If you feel in the mood for a glass of wine, then do try the Bodega de Angel Sierra, which has been in existence since 1908. With its mahogany panelling and old tiles, it is almost a museum piece in itself.
More things to do Madrid
Only a few blocks to the northeast is the Iglesia de las Salesas Reales. This church stands overlooking the square of the same name. Sometimes referred to as the Iglesia de Santa Barbara, it was built between 1749 and 1758 for Fernando VI's wife, Barbara de Bragana, who had made herself very unpopular with the people because of her extravagant tastes. She chose the French Salesian Order to run the church and convent. Very little remained of the monastery after a serious fire in 1915. The reconstruction on Plaza de la Villa de Paris is now used by the Ministry of Justice.
Designed by the Parisian architect, Franois Carlier, the richly-decorated late Baroque interior has clear French influences. Frescoes by Gonzalez Gutierrez and paintings by Francesco de Mura have transformed the dome and altar into a Rococo gem, making it a popular venue for weddings. The most extravagant pieces are the tombstones of the royal couple, who unusually chose their own church as their last resting place. Most kings and queens are buried at EI Escorial.
The Casa Palacio Longoria
On the corner of Calle Fernando VI and Calle Pelayo you will come across one of the rare examples of Spanish Art Nouveau. The Casa Palacio Longoria was built in 1902 by the Catalan, Josep Grases Riera, for a banker by the name of Longoria. The building with its characteristic flowing forms is now used by the Spanish Writers' Guild.
Travesia de San Mateo crosses Calle de Hortaleza and then joins Calle de San Mateu, where it is worth seeking out the Museo Romantico at No. 13 (Tuesday to Saturday 9am-3pm, Sunday and public holidays, 10am-1,45pm; free admission on Sunday). Until 1924 this classical mansion belonged to Marques de VegaInclan, the founder of the Paradores hotel chain. Visitors can admire period furniture, pottery and paintings, mostly from the 19th century, and also Francisco de Goya's St Gregory the Great (1794). The former ballroom used to be the haunt of Spanish Romantic poets, actors and Bohemians. There is even the chair on which the poet and founder of the liberal Ateneo cultural society , Mariano Jose de Larra, 'El Figaro' (1809-37), shot himself after being rejected in love.
Municipal Museum Madrid
The Museo Municipal in nearby Calle de Fuencarral is worth a visit if only for its richly decorated baroque portal, designed in 1726 by Pedro de Ribera. The former Hospicio de San Fernando, founded in 1674 by Maria of Austria, has since 1929 housed an interesting collection relating to the history of Madrid.
Exhibits include countless artefacts, works of art and historic maps and models, all tracing the development of the city from the Stone Age to the present day. Of all the paintings in the museum it is probably Goya's ALegorfa de La Villa de Madrid (1810) which deserves most attention. The studies used by the writer, Ramon Gomez de la Serna (1888-1963), and the historian Ramon de Mesonero Romanos (1803-82), also founder of the adjoining municipal library, have been recreated here.
A simple brick gateway, all that is left of the Monteleon barracks where the rebels held out to the bitter end, serves as a reminder of the bloody uprising of 2 May 1808. The memorial in front of the gateway represents the leader of the resistance movement, Daoiz y Velarde. The Madrileños, who had fought Napoleon's troops under General Murat with kitchen knives and pitchforks, had no chance. Among the 1,500 civilians who lost their lives in the street battles was a brave young woman by the name of Manuela Malasaña. The quarter now bears her name.
The day's activities on this spacious square are split into two halves. During daylight hours it belongs to the residents of the district but after sunset it is taken over by punkis, rockeros, girlies and members of all the other young people's tribus (tribes). On summer weekends the squares between Glorieta de Bilbao and Calle San Vicente Ferrer and the surrounding roads are besieged by Madrid's burgeoning youth culture and the whole area becomes an open air event.
The Malasaña Quarter Madrid
If you look around you in the Malasaña quarter, you will discover many attractive shop facades with tiled pictures and enamel plates, such as on the corner of San Andres and San Vicente Ferrer, the Laboratorio Juanse chemist Lahora, (since 1892) and Antigua Hueveria. The latter, formerly an egg shop, is now a restaurant. On the south side of the plaza by Calle Dos de Mayo stands Iglesia de los Santos Justo y Pastor 6, also known as Iglesia de las Maravillas (Church of the Miracles). This house of prayer was once part of a Carmelite monastery demolished in the 19th century. Its alternative name, which at times is applied to the whole of the Malasaña district, refers to the apparently miracle-performing Madonna figure on the Baroque high altar.
A convent survives on the corner of Calle de San Iglesia, Bernardo and Calle Daoiz. At the Convento de las Salesas Nuevas , dating from 1798, nuns continue to sell homemade pastries. During the 19th century when many monateries were secularised, the city authorities unceremoniously changed a place of prayer into a penal institution. Until 1920, it was used as La Galera women's prison. The main facade with its huge Rococo tower by Pedro de Ribera (1704) looks strangely lopsided as the planned twin tower was never completed.
Calle de Quinones leads up to the attractive Plaza de Comendadoras. On the right is the large convent of the Order of Santiago. In their church, Iglesia de Comendadoras de Santiago (17th century), an image of St James as the killer of Moors (Santiago matamoras) serves as a reminder of the important part this order of knights played during the reconquista. The colours of the Order of Santiago placed under the dome of the church bear the names of the historic battles waged agaInst the Moors.
Madrid Palacio de Liria Ventura Rodriguez
Palacio de Liria Ventura Rodriguez designed the Baroque Palacio de Liria (entrance Princesa 20) in 1780. The imposing structure set in gardens is the property of the Alba famIly. A valuable art collection belonging to the family is displayed in sumptuous palace rooms, including works by EI Greco, Rembrandt and Velazquez. Visits only by prior appoIntment.
When making your way back to the Gran Via you can either follow Calle de la Princesa via Plaza de Espana or take Calle de San Bernardo past some fine mansions. The assembly for the Comunidad de Madrid meets in the Old University , while in Palacio Bauer, built in 1744 for envoys from the Rothschild bank, the Madrid Conservatory trains aspiring musicians and singrs (corner of Calle del Pez). Farmacia Delueze at No. 39 is a delightful 19th century chemist's shop.
The Plaza Santa Ana Madrid
The Plaza Santa Ana in the heart of Huertas, to give the 'genius quarter' its correct name, is one of the most popular squares with Madrid's late night revellers, and a closer look at the names of the narrow alleys and lanes around here provides the clue to the 'genius' tag. Many of the 'greats' from the Siglo de Oro, like Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, once lived here.
Set out from Puerta del Sol (Metro) eastwards along Carrera de San Jeronimo. Sample a glass of sherry at the bar or better still a clear soup or calda from the silver samovar. You do not have to choose from the sophisticated menu in the elegant restaurant.
The political hub of democratic Spain is located by Plaza de las Cortes. The neoclassical Congreso de los Diputados begun in 1843 by Narciso Pascual y Colomer, houses the assembly hall for the lower chamber. The building is fronted by six Corinthian columns below a marble relief and flanked by two bronze lions cast from cannons captured during the Moroccan war of 1860. Extended in 1994, it closely resembles an ancient temple. The portal beneath the columns is only opened for special occasions at the behest of the king. History was written on 23 February 1981 when Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero of the Civil Guard stepped up on to the podium and started firing wildly as the prelude to a coup d'etat. His failure was seen as proof that democracy had taken a firm foothold in Spain.
Note the colour-coded seating in the assembly: blue for ministers and red for MPs. Opposite the parliament building by a grassy plaza, a bronze statue by Antonio Sola (1835) honours Cervantes. The view from here along the gentle downhill slope of Carrera de San Jeronimo extends as far as Paseo del Prado, with its Neptune fountain, illuminated at night, and the Iglesia San Geronimo el Real in the background.
More things to do Madrid
Only a few blocks to the northeast is the Iglesia de las Salesas Reales. This church stands overlooking the square of the same name. Sometimes referred to as the Iglesia de Santa Barbara, it was built between 1749 and 1758 for Fernando VI's wife, Barbara de Bragana, who had made herself very unpopular with the people because of her extravagant tastes. She chose the French Salesian Order to run the church and convent. Very little remained of the monastery after a serious fire in 1915. The reconstruction on Plaza de la Villa de Paris is now used by the Ministry of Justice.
Designed by the Parisian architect, Franois Carlier, the richly-decorated late Baroque interior has clear French influences. Frescoes by Gonzalez Gutierrez and paintings by Francesco de Mura have transformed the dome and altar into a Rococo gem, making it a popular venue for weddings. The most extravagant pieces are the tombstones of the royal couple, who unusually chose their own church as their last resting place. Most kings and queens are buried at EI Escorial.
The Casa Palacio Longoria
On the corner of Calle Fernando VI and Calle Pelayo you will come across one of the rare examples of Spanish Art Nouveau. The Casa Palacio Longoria was built in 1902 by the Catalan, Josep Grases Riera, for a banker by the name of Longoria. The building with its characteristic flowing forms is now used by the Spanish Writers' Guild.
Travesia de San Mateo crosses Calle de Hortaleza and then joins Calle de San Mateu, where it is worth seeking out the Museo Romantico at No. 13 (Tuesday to Saturday 9am-3pm, Sunday and public holidays, 10am-1,45pm; free admission on Sunday). Until 1924 this classical mansion belonged to Marques de VegaInclan, the founder of the Paradores hotel chain. Visitors can admire period furniture, pottery and paintings, mostly from the 19th century, and also Francisco de Goya's St Gregory the Great (1794). The former ballroom used to be the haunt of Spanish Romantic poets, actors and Bohemians. There is even the chair on which the poet and founder of the liberal Ateneo cultural society , Mariano Jose de Larra, 'El Figaro' (1809-37), shot himself after being rejected in love.
Municipal Museum Madrid
The Museo Municipal in nearby Calle de Fuencarral is worth a visit if only for its richly decorated baroque portal, designed in 1726 by Pedro de Ribera. The former Hospicio de San Fernando, founded in 1674 by Maria of Austria, has since 1929 housed an interesting collection relating to the history of Madrid.
Exhibits include countless artefacts, works of art and historic maps and models, all tracing the development of the city from the Stone Age to the present day. Of all the paintings in the museum it is probably Goya's ALegorfa de La Villa de Madrid (1810) which deserves most attention. The studies used by the writer, Ramon Gomez de la Serna (1888-1963), and the historian Ramon de Mesonero Romanos (1803-82), also founder of the adjoining municipal library, have been recreated here.
A simple brick gateway, all that is left of the Monteleon barracks where the rebels held out to the bitter end, serves as a reminder of the bloody uprising of 2 May 1808. The memorial in front of the gateway represents the leader of the resistance movement, Daoiz y Velarde. The Madrileños, who had fought Napoleon's troops under General Murat with kitchen knives and pitchforks, had no chance. Among the 1,500 civilians who lost their lives in the street battles was a brave young woman by the name of Manuela Malasaña. The quarter now bears her name.
The day's activities on this spacious square are split into two halves. During daylight hours it belongs to the residents of the district but after sunset it is taken over by punkis, rockeros, girlies and members of all the other young people's tribus (tribes). On summer weekends the squares between Glorieta de Bilbao and Calle San Vicente Ferrer and the surrounding roads are besieged by Madrid's burgeoning youth culture and the whole area becomes an open air event.
The Malasaña Quarter Madrid
If you look around you in the Malasaña quarter, you will discover many attractive shop facades with tiled pictures and enamel plates, such as on the corner of San Andres and San Vicente Ferrer, the Laboratorio Juanse chemist Lahora, (since 1892) and Antigua Hueveria. The latter, formerly an egg shop, is now a restaurant. On the south side of the plaza by Calle Dos de Mayo stands Iglesia de los Santos Justo y Pastor 6, also known as Iglesia de las Maravillas (Church of the Miracles). This house of prayer was once part of a Carmelite monastery demolished in the 19th century. Its alternative name, which at times is applied to the whole of the Malasaña district, refers to the apparently miracle-performing Madonna figure on the Baroque high altar.
A convent survives on the corner of Calle de San Iglesia, Bernardo and Calle Daoiz. At the Convento de las Salesas Nuevas , dating from 1798, nuns continue to sell homemade pastries. During the 19th century when many monateries were secularised, the city authorities unceremoniously changed a place of prayer into a penal institution. Until 1920, it was used as La Galera women's prison. The main facade with its huge Rococo tower by Pedro de Ribera (1704) looks strangely lopsided as the planned twin tower was never completed.
Calle de Quinones leads up to the attractive Plaza de Comendadoras. On the right is the large convent of the Order of Santiago. In their church, Iglesia de Comendadoras de Santiago (17th century), an image of St James as the killer of Moors (Santiago matamoras) serves as a reminder of the important part this order of knights played during the reconquista. The colours of the Order of Santiago placed under the dome of the church bear the names of the historic battles waged agaInst the Moors.
Madrid Palacio de Liria Ventura Rodriguez
Palacio de Liria Ventura Rodriguez designed the Baroque Palacio de Liria (entrance Princesa 20) in 1780. The imposing structure set in gardens is the property of the Alba famIly. A valuable art collection belonging to the family is displayed in sumptuous palace rooms, including works by EI Greco, Rembrandt and Velazquez. Visits only by prior appoIntment.
When making your way back to the Gran Via you can either follow Calle de la Princesa via Plaza de Espana or take Calle de San Bernardo past some fine mansions. The assembly for the Comunidad de Madrid meets in the Old University , while in Palacio Bauer, built in 1744 for envoys from the Rothschild bank, the Madrid Conservatory trains aspiring musicians and singrs (corner of Calle del Pez). Farmacia Delueze at No. 39 is a delightful 19th century chemist's shop.
The Plaza Santa Ana Madrid
The Plaza Santa Ana in the heart of Huertas, to give the 'genius quarter' its correct name, is one of the most popular squares with Madrid's late night revellers, and a closer look at the names of the narrow alleys and lanes around here provides the clue to the 'genius' tag. Many of the 'greats' from the Siglo de Oro, like Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, once lived here.
Set out from Puerta del Sol (Metro) eastwards along Carrera de San Jeronimo. Sample a glass of sherry at the bar or better still a clear soup or calda from the silver samovar. You do not have to choose from the sophisticated menu in the elegant restaurant.
The political hub of democratic Spain is located by Plaza de las Cortes. The neoclassical Congreso de los Diputados begun in 1843 by Narciso Pascual y Colomer, houses the assembly hall for the lower chamber. The building is fronted by six Corinthian columns below a marble relief and flanked by two bronze lions cast from cannons captured during the Moroccan war of 1860. Extended in 1994, it closely resembles an ancient temple. The portal beneath the columns is only opened for special occasions at the behest of the king. History was written on 23 February 1981 when Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero of the Civil Guard stepped up on to the podium and started firing wildly as the prelude to a coup d'etat. His failure was seen as proof that democracy had taken a firm foothold in Spain.
Note the colour-coded seating in the assembly: blue for ministers and red for MPs. Opposite the parliament building by a grassy plaza, a bronze statue by Antonio Sola (1835) honours Cervantes. The view from here along the gentle downhill slope of Carrera de San Jeronimo extends as far as Paseo del Prado, with its Neptune fountain, illuminated at night, and the Iglesia San Geronimo el Real in the background.
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