the san francisco basilica madrid
a long-term restoration program inside this vast 18th century church, which stands on the site of a hermitage built by san francisco (st francis of assisi) in 1217, is now complete. guides show you the highlights of a building that has served as a church, national pantheon and even an army barracks. joseph bonaparte, the upstart king of spain, wanted to use it as the parliament building....
almundena cathedral madrid
dedicated to the virgin of almundena, madrid's most important church occupies the same hilltop site as the palacio real. the cathedral de la almundena was designed by the marques de cubas in 1879, but work did not start until 1882 after the plans were changed to resemble a 13th century cathedral similar to the one at rheims. the building was eventually completed in the 1980s by architects fernando chueca goitia and carlos sidro, who bought a neoclassical influence to the design. the cathedral was finally consecrated by pope john paul ii in 1993....
the plaza de espana madrid
calle de la princesa, which begins at plaza de espana, is actually an extension of the gran via aimed northwest. the house at calle de la princesa, 22, is literally palatial; it calls to mind a scaled down buckingham palace. tucked away in a comfortable park behind high railings, the palacio de liria is the residence of the duchess of alba. the family picture gallery includes works by rembrandt, titian, rubens, van dyck, el greco and goya. the palace is closed to the public except by special arrangement....
the prado museum madrid
madrid's pride, the prado museum, is indisputably the world's greatest collection of spanish paintings. even apart from the spanish treasure it deserves high priority to any visitor's agenda for its hundreds of famous foreign works, especially of the italian and flemish schools. this immense hoard was collected by spain's hapsburg and bourbon kings, by private patrons of the arts and by convents and monasteries around the country....
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the gran via madrid
the gran via, main east west thoroughfare and lifeline of modern madrid. the bustling gran via (main avenue) is a mixture of hotels, shops, theatres, nightclubs and cafes the street for strolling and window gazing. connoisseurs of traffic jams will appreciate the nightmarish rush-hour along this busy street. ponytailed policewomen frantically gesticulate and whistle in a doomed effort to stir the immovable traffic; drivers at their wit's end lean on their horns in sympathy and add to the cacophony. and a special bonus: in madrid, thanks to the siesta break, the rush-hour happens not twice, but three times a day....
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basilica de san miguel madrid
one of madrid's true baroque churches, san miguel was squeezed on to the small plot of ground that once held the church of san justo. architect santiago bonavia used several design tricks to give the interior the appearance of more space. in the narrow street, the exterior, with its elegant curved fagade, statues and bells, also looks bigger. the consistency of the baroque design reflects bonavia's italian roots....
calle de serrano madrid
calle de serrano is synonymous with 'expensive'. like fifth avenue in new york or bond street in london, it is the place to go shopping for anything beautiful and costly. a broad thoroughfare, calle de serrano runs north-south through the elegant salamanca district, which was laid out in a grid pattern in the late 19th century....
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casa de america madrid
in spanish, the word 'america' tends to refer to latin america rather than to the usa. ties between spain and her former colonies remain strong, and this lively cultural centre celebrates that connection. since opening in 1992, it has hosted a wide range of exhibitions, concerts,...
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cason del buen retiro madrid
this is the only reminder of the grandeur that was once the buen retiro palace, built for philip iv in the 17th century. cason usually means 'big house', but a century ago it was used as a pejorative term to describe the dilapidated structure. when this part of the prado art complex reopens, it will house 19th century art....
san isidro cathedral madrid
the bulky twin towers of this cathedral were designed to emphasize the importance of the church that is dedicated to madrid's patron saint. built between 1622 and 1633, the interior is in the shape of a cross, with the dome above the transept. after carlos iii expelled the jesuits in 1767, he commissioned the noted architect ventura rodriguez to remodel the gloomy interior. for over 200 years, the remains of san isidro and santa maria de la cabeza, his equally holy wife, have been venerated here....
