Madrid places to go
The viewing terrace at Plaza de la Armeria affords a magnificent panoramic view of the former royal hunting grounds, Casa de Campo. Dominating the view from the palace entrance is the new cathedral for the Madrid and Alcahi diocese, La Catedral de Santa Maria de la Almudena . Displaying a variety of styles including neoGothic and classical, it was finally consecrated by the Pope in 1993 more than 100 years after the foundation stone was laid. According to legend, the heroes of the reconquista found an image of the patron saint, La Virgen de laAlmudena, in the walls of the medina and took this as a sign from God. Archaeologists have unearthed remnants of the ramparts on Cuesta de la Vega behind the church.
More things to do Madrid
If you follow Calle Bailen for about I kilometre to the north, you will pass on the right hand side the Spanish Senate Building (begun in 1845 but with recent extensions) before taking an underpass to Plaza de Espana. Standing in the middle of a small park with gnarled olive trees is the muchphotographed memorial to Cervantes, the result of a sculptors' competition in 1915. The writer appears sitting under a globe with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza riding off towards La Mancha.
The 107m (350ft) high Edificio Espana was built under General Franco between 1947 and 1953 as a way of demonstrating to the world that Spain was thriving despite his isolationist policies. At the same time opponents of the regime were disappearing into prison cells and poverty was widespread in the provinces. The architects of the red and white colossus, Julian and Joaquin Otamendi, were, they claim, influenced by Madrid Baroque. Torre de Madrid, by the same architects, was the first Spanish skyscraper. Completed in 1957 with air conditioning, it reaches a height of 124m (406ft).
On Calle San Leonardo in the shadow of these concrete giants lies an oftenignored little gem. The Iglesia de San Marcos is one of the finest works by the Madrid Baroque architect Ventura Rodriguez, who also designed the extravagant altarpiece. The church was built between 1749 and 1753 to commemorate the victory of Felipe V over Archduke Karl of Austria at Almansa, a decisive battle for the Bourbons in the Spanish War of Succession.
The artistic highlight is EI Greco's The Ecstasy of St Francis of Assisi (in the chapel). No less impressive, however, are works by Titian, Tintoretto and Alonso Cano in the Galerfa de Pintura. Of all the many grand rooms, the ballroom is undoubtedly the finest.
Situated on high ground on the other side of Calle de Ferraz stands a monument with an unusual past. The Templo Temple de Debod comes from southern Egypt and is, without doubt, the oldest structure in the city. Constructed on the banks of the Nile around 200BC in honour of the Egyptian god, Amon, it would have disappeared under floodwater when the Aswan dam was completed. However, the Egyptian government presented it to Spain in 1968 as a gesture of thanks to the Spanish engineers involved in the dam project. The surrounding hills which today form the Parque del Oeste witnessed a tragic episode in the history of Madrid. It was here on 3 May 1808 that Napoleon's soldiers massacred the rebellious madrileños. The terrible events of that day are documented in one of Goya's most famous paintings.
Ermita de San Antonio de Florida Madrid
Pass through La Rosaleda rose garden, carry on downhill through the park towards the Rio Manzanares and then cross the footbridge over the railway tracks into Principe Pio station. To the right on the other side between the railway lines and the river lies the modest chapel of Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida built in 1798 by Juan de Villanueva. It took Francisco de Goya only five months to complete the magnificent frescoes inside the dome depicting the miracle of San Antonio de Padua.
The monk proves the innocence of his father, falsely accused of murder, by successfully raising the victim from the dead. The bright colours, the free composition and the treatment of the theme as a carnival-like scene go way beyond what was expected of sacred art at that time and helped to raise Goya's profile at the vanguard of contemporary art. The mortal remains of the master were moved to the Ermita from Bordeaux in 1919, hence its alternative title, the Panteon de Goya.
Moncloa Madrid
You can either walk northwards for 1.5km Oust along shady Paseo del Pintor Rosales and Paseo de Moret or take the Metro from Arguelles station. Plaza de Moncloa is dominated by the austere Cuartal del Ejercito del Aire, headquarters of the Spanish air force, a totalitarian-stye structure typical of the Franco era. On the other side of the Arco de la Victoria (1956), built by the dictator to celebrate his victory over republican forces, towers the futuristic Faro de Moncloa. The view from the 300ft high terrace extends across the city, with the university campus (Ciudad Universitaria) and Palacio de la Moncloa, the prime minister's residence, below.
The America Museum Madrid
This museum houses a modrn-style arrangement of exhibits, most of which were brought back to Europe by the early explorers of the New World. The emphasis is on the culture of Latin America. Prized pieces include the Treasure ofthe Quimbayas from Columbia and the Mayan Codice Trocortesiano (AD 1250-1500) from Mexico.
Casa de Campo Madrid
The former royal hunting grounds are sometimes described as the city's lungs. On summer weekends, madrileños flock in their thousands to the I ,700 hectare (4,000 acre) park to the west of the Rio Manzanares. Among its attractions are a funfair, a swimming pool, a zoo and an artificial lake with boat hire. The Casa de Campo can be reached via a cable car (teleferico) from the Parque de la Montana or explored along a 25km (16 mile) road network. Daytrippers arrive laden with cool-boxes and bottles of wine. The children are left to play, while the grown-ups play cards, pelota or badminton, read the Sunday papers or listen to the football commentary on the radio. Some chase around on their mountain bikes or don their walking shoes. Away from the cable car station and the car parks, the meseta woodland of pines, cork oaks and strawberry trees is remarkably quiet, even though the city skyline seems only a stone's throwaway. That nature suffers from such invasions is only evident the next day.
Fifteen attendants are not enough to clear up a weekend's litter. To slow down the soil erosion caused by too many cars, cycles and walkers, the authorities plant 5,000 trees a year.
Environmentalists demand restrictions on car use in the park, but their calls remain unheeded. Cable car from Paseo de Pinto Rosales/Calle Marques de Urquijo; Metro: Arguelles.
The Gran Via Madrid
What is the difference between a city and a world-ranking capital? The answer is quite straightforward: a wide boulevard, ideally one that is both grand and elegant. Madrid's city fathers, certainly not accustomed to doing things by halves, decided in 1910 to cut a swathe through the northern half of the city centre. The Gran Via was designed on the drawing board by architects with the aim of bringing to the city flair and grandeur on a par with anything seen in Paris or New York.This thoroughfare has now become fully integrated into the architectural landscape of the city; it has even developed a glossy sheen. Many of the magnificent buildings erected early in the 20th century look almost decorative compared to some of the more recent examples of monumental architecture.
A world of quite different dimensions exists only a few yards from the 'main road'. The intimate aura of old Madrid lives on in the barrios of Malasana and Chueca. Even in the early hours of the morning, the atmosphere in the narrow lanes remains lively as Madrid's legendary all night party-goers prepare to see in the dawn. The western section of Gran Via between Plaza de Espana (Metro) and Calle de San Bernardo is lined with faceless multi-storey blocks built during the 1930s and 1940s and of interest more for their size than their beauty. Restaurants, shoe shops and fashion retailers have taken over at street level.
Calle de los Libreros on the north side is a favourite haunt of book collectors. There are several antiquarian booksellers (e.g. La Felipa at no 16) and some shops sell books at discount prices. From Plaza de Callao, where Calle Preciados and Calle del Carmen branch off to the south, the scenery changes dramatically. Cinemas like the Callao, Capitol and Palacio de la Musica (with 2,000 seats the largest cinema in Spain) attract movie fans to see the latest box office success with hand-painted posters.
The dimensions of the Telefonica building on Calle de Fuencarral outstrip all its neighbours. It was built for the Spanish telephone company at the end of the 1920s to plans by the American architect, Louis Week, but with a hint of Madrid Baroque to suit Spanish tastes. At that time it was the highest building in Europe (89m/292ft). During the Spanish Civil War republicans and anarchists used it as their headquarters. The Museo de la Fundacion Arte y Tecnologia, Telefonica's arts foundation, keeps a fine collection of works by contemporary Spanish artists.
When the building workers finally withdrew from the Gran Via in the 1950s, the town planners were able to take stock. Some 14 old-town lanes and 311 houses had been demolished and 44 empty sites concreted over. The demolition teams only spared churches, which explains why the boulevard is not perfectly straight. One example is the Oratorio del Caballero de Gracia (entrance at Calle Caballero de Gracia 5). It was designed in 1799 by Juan de Villanueva and built on the foundations of a 17thcentury monastery. The rear facade stands out as an alien among the phalanx of office blocks along Gran Via. The bar in the Museo Chicote (No. 12) is a good place to stop off for a drink, perhaps an exotic cocktail. During the Spanish Civil War, the writer Ernest Hemingway was a regular guest here.
A private collection of timepieces in the Museo del Reloj Grassy can be viewed during business hours at Edificio Grassy (Nos 13). Since the 1950s the building has been associated with the highclass jewellery shop that occupies the ground floor. On the corner with Calle de Alcala stands the Edilicio Metropolis. Built in 1905 by Luis Esteve, its dome and winged goddess of war make a photogenic landmark to conclude this stroll along Gran Via.
Take Calle del Barquillo northwards to find Plaza del Rey 6). The monument at its centre was designed by Mariano Benlliure in 1891 and shows the heroic Teniente Ruiz as, with sword drawn, he gives the order to attack during the uprising against Napoleon on 2 May 1808. Along the west side of the square lies the Casa de las Siete Chimeneas, named after its seven chimneys. This Renaissance palace, built in 1577, is now the home of the Spanish Ministry of Culture. A gruesome tale is told about the house; it is said that Felipe II built it for one of his mistresses, who later met a mysterious death. No trace of her body was found and her troubled soul continued to haunt the property. Peace was only restored when, during renovation work, a female skeleton together with coins dating from the time of Felipe II were found in the cellar.
More things to do Madrid
If you follow Calle Bailen for about I kilometre to the north, you will pass on the right hand side the Spanish Senate Building (begun in 1845 but with recent extensions) before taking an underpass to Plaza de Espana. Standing in the middle of a small park with gnarled olive trees is the muchphotographed memorial to Cervantes, the result of a sculptors' competition in 1915. The writer appears sitting under a globe with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza riding off towards La Mancha.
The 107m (350ft) high Edificio Espana was built under General Franco between 1947 and 1953 as a way of demonstrating to the world that Spain was thriving despite his isolationist policies. At the same time opponents of the regime were disappearing into prison cells and poverty was widespread in the provinces. The architects of the red and white colossus, Julian and Joaquin Otamendi, were, they claim, influenced by Madrid Baroque. Torre de Madrid, by the same architects, was the first Spanish skyscraper. Completed in 1957 with air conditioning, it reaches a height of 124m (406ft).
On Calle San Leonardo in the shadow of these concrete giants lies an oftenignored little gem. The Iglesia de San Marcos is one of the finest works by the Madrid Baroque architect Ventura Rodriguez, who also designed the extravagant altarpiece. The church was built between 1749 and 1753 to commemorate the victory of Felipe V over Archduke Karl of Austria at Almansa, a decisive battle for the Bourbons in the Spanish War of Succession.
The artistic highlight is EI Greco's The Ecstasy of St Francis of Assisi (in the chapel). No less impressive, however, are works by Titian, Tintoretto and Alonso Cano in the Galerfa de Pintura. Of all the many grand rooms, the ballroom is undoubtedly the finest.
Situated on high ground on the other side of Calle de Ferraz stands a monument with an unusual past. The Templo Temple de Debod comes from southern Egypt and is, without doubt, the oldest structure in the city. Constructed on the banks of the Nile around 200BC in honour of the Egyptian god, Amon, it would have disappeared under floodwater when the Aswan dam was completed. However, the Egyptian government presented it to Spain in 1968 as a gesture of thanks to the Spanish engineers involved in the dam project. The surrounding hills which today form the Parque del Oeste witnessed a tragic episode in the history of Madrid. It was here on 3 May 1808 that Napoleon's soldiers massacred the rebellious madrileños. The terrible events of that day are documented in one of Goya's most famous paintings.
Ermita de San Antonio de Florida Madrid
Pass through La Rosaleda rose garden, carry on downhill through the park towards the Rio Manzanares and then cross the footbridge over the railway tracks into Principe Pio station. To the right on the other side between the railway lines and the river lies the modest chapel of Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida built in 1798 by Juan de Villanueva. It took Francisco de Goya only five months to complete the magnificent frescoes inside the dome depicting the miracle of San Antonio de Padua.
The monk proves the innocence of his father, falsely accused of murder, by successfully raising the victim from the dead. The bright colours, the free composition and the treatment of the theme as a carnival-like scene go way beyond what was expected of sacred art at that time and helped to raise Goya's profile at the vanguard of contemporary art. The mortal remains of the master were moved to the Ermita from Bordeaux in 1919, hence its alternative title, the Panteon de Goya.
Moncloa Madrid
You can either walk northwards for 1.5km Oust along shady Paseo del Pintor Rosales and Paseo de Moret or take the Metro from Arguelles station. Plaza de Moncloa is dominated by the austere Cuartal del Ejercito del Aire, headquarters of the Spanish air force, a totalitarian-stye structure typical of the Franco era. On the other side of the Arco de la Victoria (1956), built by the dictator to celebrate his victory over republican forces, towers the futuristic Faro de Moncloa. The view from the 300ft high terrace extends across the city, with the university campus (Ciudad Universitaria) and Palacio de la Moncloa, the prime minister's residence, below.
The America Museum Madrid
This museum houses a modrn-style arrangement of exhibits, most of which were brought back to Europe by the early explorers of the New World. The emphasis is on the culture of Latin America. Prized pieces include the Treasure ofthe Quimbayas from Columbia and the Mayan Codice Trocortesiano (AD 1250-1500) from Mexico.
Casa de Campo Madrid
The former royal hunting grounds are sometimes described as the city's lungs. On summer weekends, madrileños flock in their thousands to the I ,700 hectare (4,000 acre) park to the west of the Rio Manzanares. Among its attractions are a funfair, a swimming pool, a zoo and an artificial lake with boat hire. The Casa de Campo can be reached via a cable car (teleferico) from the Parque de la Montana or explored along a 25km (16 mile) road network. Daytrippers arrive laden with cool-boxes and bottles of wine. The children are left to play, while the grown-ups play cards, pelota or badminton, read the Sunday papers or listen to the football commentary on the radio. Some chase around on their mountain bikes or don their walking shoes. Away from the cable car station and the car parks, the meseta woodland of pines, cork oaks and strawberry trees is remarkably quiet, even though the city skyline seems only a stone's throwaway. That nature suffers from such invasions is only evident the next day.
Fifteen attendants are not enough to clear up a weekend's litter. To slow down the soil erosion caused by too many cars, cycles and walkers, the authorities plant 5,000 trees a year.
Environmentalists demand restrictions on car use in the park, but their calls remain unheeded. Cable car from Paseo de Pinto Rosales/Calle Marques de Urquijo; Metro: Arguelles.
The Gran Via Madrid
What is the difference between a city and a world-ranking capital? The answer is quite straightforward: a wide boulevard, ideally one that is both grand and elegant. Madrid's city fathers, certainly not accustomed to doing things by halves, decided in 1910 to cut a swathe through the northern half of the city centre. The Gran Via was designed on the drawing board by architects with the aim of bringing to the city flair and grandeur on a par with anything seen in Paris or New York.This thoroughfare has now become fully integrated into the architectural landscape of the city; it has even developed a glossy sheen. Many of the magnificent buildings erected early in the 20th century look almost decorative compared to some of the more recent examples of monumental architecture.
A world of quite different dimensions exists only a few yards from the 'main road'. The intimate aura of old Madrid lives on in the barrios of Malasana and Chueca. Even in the early hours of the morning, the atmosphere in the narrow lanes remains lively as Madrid's legendary all night party-goers prepare to see in the dawn. The western section of Gran Via between Plaza de Espana (Metro) and Calle de San Bernardo is lined with faceless multi-storey blocks built during the 1930s and 1940s and of interest more for their size than their beauty. Restaurants, shoe shops and fashion retailers have taken over at street level.
Calle de los Libreros on the north side is a favourite haunt of book collectors. There are several antiquarian booksellers (e.g. La Felipa at no 16) and some shops sell books at discount prices. From Plaza de Callao, where Calle Preciados and Calle del Carmen branch off to the south, the scenery changes dramatically. Cinemas like the Callao, Capitol and Palacio de la Musica (with 2,000 seats the largest cinema in Spain) attract movie fans to see the latest box office success with hand-painted posters.
The dimensions of the Telefonica building on Calle de Fuencarral outstrip all its neighbours. It was built for the Spanish telephone company at the end of the 1920s to plans by the American architect, Louis Week, but with a hint of Madrid Baroque to suit Spanish tastes. At that time it was the highest building in Europe (89m/292ft). During the Spanish Civil War republicans and anarchists used it as their headquarters. The Museo de la Fundacion Arte y Tecnologia, Telefonica's arts foundation, keeps a fine collection of works by contemporary Spanish artists.
When the building workers finally withdrew from the Gran Via in the 1950s, the town planners were able to take stock. Some 14 old-town lanes and 311 houses had been demolished and 44 empty sites concreted over. The demolition teams only spared churches, which explains why the boulevard is not perfectly straight. One example is the Oratorio del Caballero de Gracia (entrance at Calle Caballero de Gracia 5). It was designed in 1799 by Juan de Villanueva and built on the foundations of a 17thcentury monastery. The rear facade stands out as an alien among the phalanx of office blocks along Gran Via. The bar in the Museo Chicote (No. 12) is a good place to stop off for a drink, perhaps an exotic cocktail. During the Spanish Civil War, the writer Ernest Hemingway was a regular guest here.
A private collection of timepieces in the Museo del Reloj Grassy can be viewed during business hours at Edificio Grassy (Nos 13). Since the 1950s the building has been associated with the highclass jewellery shop that occupies the ground floor. On the corner with Calle de Alcala stands the Edilicio Metropolis. Built in 1905 by Luis Esteve, its dome and winged goddess of war make a photogenic landmark to conclude this stroll along Gran Via.
Take Calle del Barquillo northwards to find Plaza del Rey 6). The monument at its centre was designed by Mariano Benlliure in 1891 and shows the heroic Teniente Ruiz as, with sword drawn, he gives the order to attack during the uprising against Napoleon on 2 May 1808. Along the west side of the square lies the Casa de las Siete Chimeneas, named after its seven chimneys. This Renaissance palace, built in 1577, is now the home of the Spanish Ministry of Culture. A gruesome tale is told about the house; it is said that Felipe II built it for one of his mistresses, who later met a mysterious death. No trace of her body was found and her troubled soul continued to haunt the property. Peace was only restored when, during renovation work, a female skeleton together with coins dating from the time of Felipe II were found in the cellar.
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