Madrid is the economical and industrial center of Spain. The most important sectors in the capital are the production of alimentary products, chemicals, metals and the construction sector as well as the bank, commerce and administration sectors. The tight economical relation between Spain and South America makes Madrid the center of foreign investments in South America and home to many international companies.

As capital of Spain, Madrid is also home of the Royal family, the Spanish Government and many other national institutions. The town has a long and fascinating history and all over Madrid there are monuments and museums of great artistically value. Apart from the Capital the province of Madrid is also full of interesting sites to visit such as El Escorial, Arranjuez and Alcala de Henares all named UNESCO World Heritage Cities.

Madrid is also a very international city with a lot of foreign students and tourist visiting the town. This combined with the “Madrileos” passion for going out at night makes the town a great place to eat out with a numerous variation of national and international restaurants. Apart from the restaurants the town has an interesting and varied nightlife with bars and discotheques open all year and all week around.

A Cathedral for the Capital

Soon after King Philips II made Madrid the capital of Spain in 1561, he wanted a cathedral for his new capital. Partly due to political turbulences and strong opposition by the powerful archdiocese of the then larger city Toledo, the construction was constantly postponed. Finally in 1868 a congregation devoted to Virgin Almudena, the female patron saint of Madrid, received the permission from the archdiocese in Toledo to construct a new church dedicated to the patron saint.

Construction

In 1883 construction finally starts and one year later, Madrid becomes a diocese thanks to Pope Leo XIII. This made it possible to build a cathedral instead of a church. Consequently, the project is updated to reflect the higher status of the building. The new design by Marqués de Cubas called for a neo gothic cathedral building with a ground plan in the form of a Latin cross.

Construction progressed slowly and even came to a complete halt during the civil war in the 1930s. In 1944 the design of the cathedral comes under fire since its neo gothic style would contrast with the neo classical style of the future cathedral’s famous neighbor, the Royal Palace. A commission chose a new design by architects Fernando Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro. They proposed a design that included more classical elements.

Consecration

While works would continue until 1999, the Almudena cathedral was officially declared complete in 1993. That same year pope John-Paul II consecrated the new cathedral. A statue of the pope can be found in front of the cathedral.

The Building

The cathedral is 104m long and 76m wide. The central dome has a diameter of 20m. The interior of the Almudena Cathedral is more modern and much more modest than that of its larger counterpart in Toledo. The building, situated adjacent to the Royal Palace is nevertheless worth a visit, if only for its sheer size.

The square is located at the end of the beautiful Gran Via, one of Madrid’s busiest streets. The green square is surrounded by streets, but it is still a very relaxing place during daytime. It features a large fountain and famous statue honoring the Spanish writer Cervantes.

History

Located close to the Palacio Real (Royal Palace), the site was occupied by a barrack. After it was demolished, a new public square was created. It became a popular meeting place in the 1950s, after two of Madrid’s largest buildings were constructed: the Edificio de España and the Torre de Madrid. Both buildings were constructed by the project developer Metropolitana and designed by the Otamendi brothers.

Skyscrapers

The Edificio de España was built between 1947 and 1953 and is the most elegant of the two skyscrapers. It consists of a central 25 story tower flanked by two wings.
The Torre de Madrid was built in 1957. At the time of construction, it was the tallest concrete building in the world with a height of 142m or almost 466ft. Nicknamed La Jirafe or ‘giraffe’, it was the tallest building in Madrid until the Torre Picasso was built in 1989.

Monument to Miguel de Cervantes

The most popular sight at the Plaza de España is the monument to Miguel de Cervantes, writer of the world famous story of Don Quixote de la Mancha and his trusty squire, Sancho Panza. Visitors flock to the monument to get their picture taken in front of the bronze statues of Don Quixote on his horse and Sancho Panza on his mule. Behind them a is statue of Cervantes himself, looking over his creations.

The lively street is one of the city’s most important shopping areas. It also contains a large number of hotels and large movie theaters. But what makes this street so special it the architectural design of many of the large buildings. While walking through this crowded street make sure you look up once in a while and admire the often lavishly decorated grand ‘edificios’.

Conception

In the mid 19th century, Madrid’s urban planners decided that a new thoroughfare had to be created, connecting the Calle de Alcalá with the Plaza de España. The project required many buildings in the center of the city to be demolished. Decades after the first plans were made, construction still hadn’t started and the media ridiculed the project, cynically calling it the ‘Gran Via’ or ‘Great Road’. Finally in 1904 it was approved and construction started a couple of years later. The last part of the street was completed in 1929.

Grand Edificios

The new road created opportunities for architects, who had the ability to create large buildings in the latest architectural styles. The first eye catching building starting from the Calle de Alcalá is the most famous of all, the Edificio Metrópolis or Metropolis building. The landmark was built between 1907 and 1911 after a design by the architects Jules & Raymond Février. The original statue was replaced in 1975 by a statue of a winged Goddess Victoria.

A bit further along the Gran Via, on the left hand side is another landmark, the Edificio Grassy, another corner building with a small tower. It was built in 1917.
From the Edificio Grassy, you can already see the tower of the Telefónica building, a skyscraper built between 1926 and 1929 for the Spanish telecommunications company. The 88m/290ft high building was the largest in Madrid and would have been a good fit in Chicago. Not surprisingly, the architect of the Telefónica building was an American, Louis S. Weeks.

Plaza del Callao

If you walk further in the direction of the Plaza de España the Gran Via crosses a small square, the Plaza del Callao. This square is the heart of cinematic Madrid, with about six movie theaters. One of them, the Capitol, is located in a beautiful Art Deco building.

Plaza de España

The last part of the Gran Via, constructed between 1925 and 1929 leads to the Plaza de España, a large square dominated by two skyscrapers built in the 1950s, the symmetric Edificio de España and the Torre de Madrid. Here the Gran Via becomes the Calle de Princessa, leading north to the Arco de la Victoria.

A Royal Park

The Retiro Park was created as a royal park; it belonged to the Real Sitio del Buen Retiro palace. In 1632, the palace was built by King Philips IV as a retreat for the Royal family. Retiro stands for retreat, hence the name of the park and palace. At the time the park was well outside the city walls, but now Madrid has completely enclosed the Retiro park. The 130ha or 320acre large royal park opened to the public in 1868. It is partially laid out in a formal French style, while other parts are more natural.

Museo del Ejército

Of the original palace, only two buildings survived, the rest was destroyed during the Napoleonic wars. One of the remaining buildings houses the Museo del Ejército, an army museum. The museum covers Spain’s military history. It contains a nice collection of armor. The most important item in the collection is the sword of El Cid or La Tizona. Not really weaponry, but another notable item on display is the cross that Columbus took with him to the New World. The other surviving building is the Casón del Buen Retiro, a museum with a collection of 19th and 20th century paintings, including works by Joaquín Sorolla.

The Lake

Close to the northern entrance of the Parque del Retiro is a large artificial lake, the Estanque del Retiro. Here you can rent a rowing boat, especially popular during weekends. A large monument with an equestrian statue of King Alfonso XII overlooks the lake. The monument, erected in 1922 by King Alfonso’s mother, consists of a semicircular colonnade with an equestrian statue of the King in front.

Palacios

More to the south is another, much smaller lake. At the edge of the lake is a beautiful glass building, the Palacio de Cristal. Built in 1887 by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco after the Crystal Palace in London, it was initially used to house exotic plants brought over from the Philippines. It is now mainly used for temporary exhibitions. Nearby is another pavilion, the Palacio de Velázquez, designed in 1884 by the same architect. Now also used for temporary exhibitions, it originally served as a pavilion for the national exhibition of the mining, metal, glass and ceramics industry.

Satan

Another feature of the park is the Rose Garden, the Rosaleda. And possibly the most remarkable feature of the Retiro Park is one of its statues, El Angel Caído. It is dedicated to Satan, possibly the only such statue in Europe.

Location

The Retiro Park is located east of the city center, not far from the Prado Museum. Its main entrance is near the Alcala Gate, at the Plaza de la Independence.

During the middle ages the site was just a market place outside the city walls. In the 1560s, King Philip II asked Juan de Herrera, architect of the Escorial, to turn the market place into a real square. It would take until 1617, during the reign of King Philips III, before the construction of the new Plaza Mayor started. Under the direction of Herrera’s successor, Juan Gómez de la Mora, the plaza was completed in just two years.

The result was a large square, measuring 120m long and 90m wide (394ft x 295ft). It was surrounded by wooden buildings, at one point up to six stories high. Fires destroyed all the buildings around the Plaza Mayor three times in history: in 1631, 1672 and 1790. Each time they were rebuilt, the last reconstruction after a design by Juan de Villanueva is what we see today.

Some of the more unusual rooms include the porcelain room, where the walls are covered completely with green and white porcelain.

Shop Madrid recommends a visit even if you have no intention of purchasing anything!

Important information:

• Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 all year except 1 & 6th Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec
• Access:
  • By Road: Take the Autovía A-6 to the North West of the city until exit 11 and follow the signs “Centro Commercial”.
  • By Bus: Routes 651, 652, 653, 654 y 655 from Moncloa
  • By Train: Red de Cercanias C-10, Station “El Barial”

Important information:

• Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 all year except 1 & 6th Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec
• Access: Take the Autovía A-1 to the North of the city until exit 19 and it is on the left hand side.