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Madrid
> Featured Sights |
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Pl.
Mayor
Metro: Sol
Buses: 3, 53, M1 |
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Plaza Mayor
Felipe III built the great Plaza Mayor in 1619, which soon
became the heart of the Renaissance city's urban bustle. A unique architectural
achievement, the Plaza Mayor is an enclosed, open air public square, breached
by nine tall archways on its four sides. The plaza was used in early days
for bullfights, autos da fe (in which the Inquisition castigated and burned
heretics), and also for canonizations and public festivals. At least three
kings were crowned there. |
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Puerta
del Sol
Metro: Sol |
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Puerta del Sol
Located at the geographical heart of Spain, near
to the Plaza Mayor, the Puerta del Sol is Madrid's consummate public
plaza. The crescent shaped plaza opens onto 9 major roads, and buzzes
with bus traffic, cars and taxis; the metro beneath ensures that its
wide sidewalks are always packed with people. The graceful buildings
framing the plaza demonstrate the architectural pursuits of the architects
working under Carlos III, and with their creamy golden and red façades,
still evoke a sense of bygone elegance and civic pride.
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C/
de Bailén
Metro: Ópera |
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Palacio Real
The Royal Palace is thought to be the quintessence
of Madrid's neoclassical building boom, and is replete with incomparable
artwork, exemplary sculpture, Rococo furniture and fine implements for
royal feasts. The complex is vast and awe-inspiring, beyond anything
we postmoderns could imagine (or justify) as a residence.
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Paseo
del Prado
Metro: Banco de España, Atocha |
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Museo del Prado
The Prado museum is thought by some to be the best in
the world. Other museums are known for the sheer quantity and variety
of works in stock, but the Prado provides access to an incredible concentration
of masterpieces from specific masters. For Bosch, Velázquez,
Murillo, Goya, or El Greco, even Rubens, this is the one place that
must be seen.
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C/
Santa Isabel 52
opp. Estación de Atocha
Metro: Atocha |
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Reina Sofía
Madrid's modern art museum, located within sight of the
Atocha train station, is home to the works of Miró and Dalí,
as well as Picasso's famed Guernica, the mural that depicted a massacre
of civilians committed by fascists during the Spanish Civil War. The
painting often appears simple to those who see it in tiny reprints,
but it is common to see captivated visitors standing or sitting in front
of the huge canvas for prolonged periods of time.
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Pl.
de la Independencia, C/ Alfonso XII
Metro: Retiro |
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Parque del Buen Retiro
Right in the heart of Madrid, near the Prado Museum and
Atocha train station, the Parque del Buen Retiro was the country resort
for Spain's ruling monarchs, but now is a favorite sojourn for the city-dweller
tired of the traffic and the noise.
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Plaza
de Cascorro, Ribera de Curtidores
Metro: La Latina |
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El Rastro
An open-air marketplace, often compared to a flea market,
the Rastro has become a traveler's rite of passage. Many will claim
to have obtained cherished or even valuable items there for unbelievable
bargains, but others warn to watch for the pickpockets, fortunetellers
and shell-gamers who target the inattentive.
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Av.
Ciudad de Barcelona
Metro: Atocha-RENFE |
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Atocha Station
The Atocha train station is a Madrid landmark, despite
or perhaps due to its proximity to the Prado and Reina Sofía
museums, and its use as one of the key transportation hubs of the capital.
Its striking architecture is complemented by a rich interior ambience
and the service of high-speed AVE trains to Andalucía.
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Plaza de Toros las Ventas
Madrid's "new" plaza de toros (bullring),
named Las Ventas del Espíritu Santo, opened in June of 1931 to
mixed reviews. It was devoid of tradition and not of interest to the true
aficionados. The project was undertaken by then mayor of Madrid, Pedro
Rico, as a public works project to stimulate a stagnant job market. Despite
initial opposition by stalwart insiders, Las Ventas has seen many of the
great moments of bullfighting history, and over time became the holy pinnacle
of bullfighting. |
Pl.
Isabel II, Pl. de Oriente
Tel: 91 516 06 00
Metro: Ópera
Web: Teatro-Real.com |
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Teatro Real
Madrid's Royal Opera House has had a long and difficult
history. Planned in 1818, construction lasted for over 3 decades. In 1850,
the first opera was performed there. By 1925, the building was closed
for fear of collapse; it was restored and reopened in 1966, but only began
to serve as opera house again in 1997. The theatre also has several halls
adorned with great art from the 16th through 20th Centuries. There are
two façades, one on the Plaza Isabel II, the other on the Plaza
de Oriente. |
