The Plaza Mayor is the grandest square in all Madrid, completely enclosed, and surrounded by elegant arcades. The Madrileños have all but abandoned it to tourists, but it’s still a handsome spot for a coffee out on the terrace. The area around it is known as Habsburg Madrid, or Madrid of the Austrias, and the winding streets and passages are sprinkled with old palaces and monasteries, tiny churches and traditional shops selling handmade guitars, religious goods, or fine wines. Its proximity to the royal palace has meant that this neighbourhood has always been pretty fancy – at least until the posh families moved out to the grand new avenues of Salamanca a century or so ago – and the restaurants and smart tapas bars are a cut above the workaday places in other parts of the city. Even the convents were established for blue-blooded nuns and are stuffed with treasures; a pair of them have now opened their doors to visitors. The Moorish fortress did service as a royal palace for centuries, but the Bourbons wanted something altogether grander and built the present, enormous Palacio Real which spreads flamboyantly across the western side of the city, surrounded with manicured gardens like the Campo del Moro, elegant squares like the Plaza de Oriente and Madrid’s celebrated opera house, the Teatro Real. SightsPlaza Mayor Metro Sol. The Plaza Mayor is vast, a huge cobbled expanse surrounded by elegant arcades and tall mansions topped with steep slate roofs. When it’s bright and sunny, it’s packed with terrace cafés, souvenir shops and sun-worshipping tourists; the only time you might catch a Madrileño here is on a Sunday morning when a stamp and coin market is held under the arcades. The square was built by Juan Gómez de Mora to designs by Felipe II’s favourite architect, Juan de Herrera. This was the ceremonial centre of Madrid, a magnificent backdrop for coronations, executions, markets, bullfights and fiestas. It is riddled with the subterranean torture chambers of the Inquisition, who used the square for autos-da-fé – the trial of suspected heretics. In just one day in 1680, they tried 118 prisoners here and burned 21 of them alive. Before the square was built, a market was traditionally held in front of the Casa de la Panadería, the old bakery, which is now the most eye-catching building on the square. It was repainted in 1992 by Carlos Franco who covered it with a hippy-trippy fresco of floating nymphs. Arched passages lead off to some of the most important streets of 17th-century Madrid – Calle Toledo, Calle Mayor, and Calle Segovia – as well as several which still echo the trades which were once carried out here, like Calle Cuchilleros, the Street of the Knife- Sharpeners, which incorporates part of the old city walls. This is where you’ll find the traditional mesones (inns), which grew up to cater to merchants and travellers arriving at the city gates. Casa Botín opened in the 16th century and claims to be the oldest restaurant in the world. Mercado de San Miguel Metro Sol or Opera. Right next to the Plaza Mayor is Madrid’s prettiest covered market, an airy glass and wrought-iron pavilion designed by a pupil of Gustave Eiffel. It’s a listed building, but is still open for fresh fish, meat, vegetables and fruit. There are several excellent upmarket tapas bars around the market– a better bet than most of the brash, touristy ones in the Plaza Mayor. Plaza de la Villa Metro Sol. This small, austerely beautiful square just off Calle Mayor is one of the oldest in Madrid. The grandest building is the Casa de la Villa (City Hall), which was begun in 1640 to plans drawn up by Juan Gómez de Moro. Until then, the city was small enough to be managed with the odd council meeting held in a local church. By 1640, it was felt that something a little more imposing was in order for what was, after all, the capital of an empire. The interior can be visited as part of the guided tours run by the city council, but there’s nothing especially interesting to see besides the plush Salón de Sesiones where city matters are deliberated in a whirl of velvet and gilt. Opposite the Casa de la Villa is the Torre de los Lujanes, the oldest secular building in Madrid, although it’s been restored almost beyond recognition. At the corner of tiny Calle del Codo, you can just make out a Moorish archway incorporated into the walls. If you duck down this little alley, you can pick up some cakes at the Convento de las Carboneras. The handsome 16th-century palace which stands beyond the Casa de la Villa and closes off the square was home to Cardenal Cisneros, founder of the famous university in Alcalá. Now Madrid’s Mayor, José María Alvarez del Manzano, lives here. In the centre of the Plaza de la Villa is a statue to Don Alvaro de Bazán, who was appointed leader of the Armada which was sent to fight the English, but died, perhaps fortunately, just 10 days before the expedition set off. At least he never had to discover what a misnomer ‘Invincible Armada’ would turn out to be. Calle Arenal Metro Sol or Opera. Calle Arenal was one of the main processional routes of Habsburg Madrid, lined with convents, palaces and churches. Now it’s mainly a shopping street, with a smattering of bars, cafés and clubs. The Iglesia de San Ginés is a gloomy 17th-century church which reeks of incense, run by the shadowy, ultra-reactionary Opus Dei. There’s a version of El Greco’s Expulsion from the Temple in a small side chapel, but it’s only open during services. Down the passage close to the church is Madrid’s best-known chocolatería (Chocolatería San Ginés) – the perfect place for churros con chocolate after a night on the tiles. Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales Plaza de las Descalzas Reales 3, T 91 454 88 00. Guided tour only (usually in Spanish) Tue-Thu, Sat 1030-1245, 1600-1745, Fri 1030- 1245, Sun and holidays 1100-1330. €4.81/3.91 concessions. Free to EU passport holders on Wed. A combined ticket with the Convento de la Encarnación is available. Metro Sol or Opera. This monastery was founded by Juana of Austria, daughter of Charles V (Carlos I of Spain), who was born here in its former incarnation as a royal palace. Widowed at the age of 19, she established this convent for aristocratic nuns and widows. Thanks to its royal connections, it became one of the richest religious institutions in the kingdom, crammed with paintings, tapestries and ornaments – although most were later sold when the convent fell on hard times. There is still a community of 23 nuns here, who care for the pretty kitchen gardens and orchard which can be glimpsed from the windows. The guided tour begins with the opulent main staircase, thickly covered in trompe l’oeil, including a delightful one of Felipe IV and his family gathered on a balcony. At the top of the stairs, the upper gallery of the cloister is surrounded with elaborate chapels endowed by the illustrious families of nuns entering the convent, and a collection of doll-like baby Jesuses in glass cases. The gloomy choir hall (closed during services) is panelled in dark wood with candelabras in the shape of arms sprouting out surreally from the walls. The highlight of the convent is the remarkable collection of tapestries, particularly a 17th-century series called the Triumph of the Eucharist which was designed by Rubens and woven in Brussels. This is where you’ll find the only mirror in the whole convent, used to show off the sketch on the back of one of the tapestries. Downstairs is a recreation of a cell, complete with the spiked sandals and knotted rope which the nuns used to mortify their flesh, and some painting galleries; most are copies but the nuns have managed to hang on to a Titian. Palacio Real C Bailén s/n, T 91 542 00 59. Mon-Sat 0930-1700, Sun and public holidays 0900-1400. €5.95, €6.90 with guided tour in English/€3 concessions. Free to EU passport holders on Wed. Metro Opera. The Moors built their fortress on this cliff edge overlooking the Manzanares River. Over the centuries, monarchs tacked bits onto the alcázar to make a higgledy-piggledy royal palace that stood here until a fire destroyed it in 1734. Felipe V saw an opportunity to create something altogether grander, and commissioned the most prestigious architects of the day to create this monumental pile. Built on a staggering scale – thankfully, earlier plans for a palace four times the size of the current one were rejected – it’s undoubtedly imposing, but it’s no surprise that Juan Carlos I and his family have chosen to live in the more modest surroundings of the Palacio de Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid. The Royal Palace is still used for official functions and can be closed at short notice – if two flags are flying instead of just one, the King is at home and you won’t be allowed in.Francisco Sabatini’s icy staircase of pale marble leads up to the main floor, topped with a ceiling fresco depicting the Triumph of Religion and the Church. The Salón de los Alabarderos (Hall of the Halbardiers) boasts a magnificent ceiling fresco by the Venetian painter, Tiepolo, who came to Madrid at the age of 62 – some say to follow a young temptress, but this is almost certainly just a story to spice up a dull, blameless life. Carlos III was the first monarch to live in the palace and his apartments follow each other in dizzying succession. The ballroom, known as the Hall of Columns, swirls with gilt, crystal, cupids and thick, golden garlands. Traditionally, this is where Spanish monarchs would ceremoniously wash the feet of 25 beggars before the court, feeding them a sumptuous banquet afterwards in an annual ceremony. The most magnificent room in the palace is the Throne Room, finished in 1772, and densely upholstered in deep red velvet and gold, with Tiepolo’s last masterpiece, The Majesty of the Spanish Monarchy, spreading dramatically across the vast ceiling. Tiepolo’s rival, the younger and more ambitious German-born painter Antón Rafael Mengs, designed the dazzling, rococo Gasparini Suite, which was used as the king’s dressing room. Most of the paintings are copies – the originals are exhibited at the Prado. One of the most eye-popping rooms is the Porcelain Room, encrusted with 134 oriental porcelain panels and silk hangings. The Gala Dining Room was created from three rooms by order of Alfonso XIII; possibly the only person deluded enough to think that the palace wasn’t big enough, and the last king to use the palace as his residence. He had a special cinema built, and would spend Sunday afternoons here with his family. Other highlights include the exceptional collection of musical instruments in the Stradivarius room – some dating back to the 17th century, many with exquisite decorative detail. Across the square, the Royal Pharmacy has a recreated 19th-century pharmacy complete with porcelain jars and fittings. Campo del Moro Parque-Jardín El Campo del Moro, Paseo Virgen del Puerto s/n. Mon-Sat 1000-1800, Sun and public holidays 0900-1800. Free. The expansive palace gardens of the Campo del Moro spread down- hill to the Manzanares River, but you’ll have to walk all the way around to the entrance on the Paseo Virgen del Puerto to get in. They are very peaceful and offer spectacular views up to the palace. Equally lovely and more accessible are the Jardines del Sabatini to the north of the palace, which are very small but beautifully laid out with fountains and shady paths. Plaza de Oriente Metro Opera. This half-moon shaped square, with its manicured gardens, statues and tranquil air is surrounded with elegant terrace cafés. It was commissioned by Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother, who was given the nickname El Rey de Plazuelas for his habit of knocking down jumbles of old buildings and replacing them with public squares. This was his first, but dozens followed. The equestrian statue of Felipe IV at the centre was built in 1640 and was moved here from the Retiro Gardens. Its construction posed problems for its sculptor, Petro Tacca, who apparently got some tips from Galileo on how to balance the horse and so made the back from solid bronze and kept the front hollow. At El Ajibe, the subterranean cocktail bar of the Café de Oriente, you can peer at the remnants of the Moorish city walls through the perspex floor. Teatro Real Plaza de Oriente s/n, T 91 516 06 60. Guided visits Tue-Fri at 1300, Sat, Sun and public holidays 1130-1330. Closed Aug. €3. For box office information. Metro Opera. Madrid’s grand opera house was begun in 1818, and finished in 1850, just in time for Isabel II’s 20th-birthday celebrations. This is where the Madrileños were introduced to the works of Verdi, Wagner and Stravinsky, along with daring new ballets by Diaghilev and the Ballet Russe. But the theatre was closed in 1925 and only finally reopened in 1997 after a massive facelift which included the addition of state-of-the-art technology. Seat prices are surprisingly good value in comparison with the UK and Madrileños still dress up in their finery to make a night out seem a very grand occasion. Convento de la Encarnación Plaza de la Encarnación 1, T 91 454 88 00. Guided tour only (Spanish, 20 mins) Tue-Thu, Sat 1030-1245, 1600-1745, Fri 1030-1245, Sun and holidays 1100-1345. €3.50/2.75 concessions. Combined ticket with Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales €6/5 concessions. Metro Opera. Just to the north of the Plaza de Oriente, this small convent opened its doors to the public in the 1980s. Like other religious institutions, it has had to find new ways of funding itself under Spain’s new democratic regime. The convent was commissioned by Margaret of Austria, consort to Felipe II, and was once connected to the Alcázar (which preceded the present Palacio Real) by a long corridor. It looks modest enough on the outside, but parts of the predominantly baroque interior are still fit for kings. The guided tour visits 10 rooms, beginning with a series of galleries full of minor paintings and sculptures, although there’s a luminous St John the Baptist by José Ribera. The highlight of the tour is the final room, the Reliquario. This subterranean, dimly lit room is lined with cabinets stuffed with the relics of thousands of saints: nails, skulls, hair, crumbling bones, and phials of blood all wrapped in garlands and displayed in intricate cases. Madrid’s most famous relic is housed here, a tiny flask containing the blood of San Pantaleón which miraculously liquefies each year on the day of his martyrdom, 27 July. According to legend, if it liquefies at any other time, the country is in danger. Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Almudena C Bailén, T 91 542 22 00. Mon-Sat 1000-1330, 1800-2000, Sun 1000-1400, 1800-2045. Free. Mass is held daily at 1000 and 1200, Sun 1030, 1200, 1800 and 1900. Metro Opera. This huge concrete lump is Madrid’s first cathedral. Right up until 1993, when it was opened amid much pomp and ceremony (and a shower of confetti made with shredded telephone directories) by Pope John Paul II, Madrid was part of the diocese of Toledo and had no cathedral to call its own. Plans for converting the former church of Our Lady of the Almudena into a cathedral were drawn up in the 1870s, but, despite more than a century of work, the finished product is profoundly banal. Much more atmospheric is the crypt (entrance around the corner on Calle Mayor), which was the first part to be completed, and has a creepy charm of its own.
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