The Art Gallery in Madrid, once a part of the royal residence, displays works by Spanish painters from the 19th Century including the 'Coleccion Pablo Picasso'.
One of the major museums in Madrid, the National Archeological Museum can be found in the National Library building. Amongst the Museum's exhibits are works of Gothic, Iberian, Islamic, Christian and Roman Art.
Once the site for important events such as bullfights, executions of heretics and proclamations of new kings, Plaza Mayor is now a lively central square. Here, tourists can find quaint restaurants and cafes.
The Prado Museum in Madrid is one of the finest attractions in the city. Showcasing a wealth of paintings and sculptures, the Museum began from the royal collection of the Habsburgs and the Bourbons.
Inaugurated in 1986 by Queen Sofia, The Art Center is amongst the finest attractions to visit in Madrid. Originally designed as a hospital by the architect of the Royal Palace, the center now displays works of Spanish Art.
Housed within a Renaissance style Palace, the Church and convent of the Descalzas Reales are a reflection of splendid 16th century architecture. The interior is also impressive.
The splendid Royal Palace in Madrid is beautifully designed with elements of Baroque and Rococo style. The facade of the Palace was inspired by designs originally prepared for the French Louvre.
The Botanic Gardens were first opened in 1781 and quickly gained world fame. The gardens have Neo-Classical gateways and an important library with thousands of plant drawings.
Although somewhat plain looking from the outside, the Convento de la Encarnación reveals a beautiful Baroque interior. The convent contains a museum with art and relics.
The Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida has long been a pilgrimage site. It is also the final resting place of the painter Francisco de Goya, and some of his finest frescoes are found here.
Gran Vía is a wide main artery, connecting the eastern and western districts. Old buildings were torn down in the 1910s to make way for this addition, which is a fine display of a Modern Madrid.
Lope de Vega Museum is located in a house was lived in by this 17th C poet and playwrite.
Museo Cerralbo features artifacts from the Iberian, Punic and Roman periods, along with a variety of paintings by well known artists, such as Tintoretto, Tiepolo and Goya.
The Museo Laàzaro Galdiano displays the collection of Lázaro Galdiano, including everything from coins and weapons, to tapestries and Baroque crystal. It is located in the mansion which he also bequeathed to the state.
The Baroque Palacio de Liria is the residence of the Dukes of Alba. It was completed in 1780 but rebuilt following the Civil War.
Palacio de Villahermosa is currently an annex to the Prado Museum and displays paintings form the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection.
The huge Parque del Retiro contains a central pool, gardens, the Crystal Palace, outdoor cafes, and many walking paths.
Paseo del Prado is a wide avenue lined with trees and flowers, along with some of the city's famous attractions, such as the Museo del Prado and the Neptune Fountain.
Plaza de Oriente, beside the Palacio Real, contains beautiful gardens and green space, with a statue of Philip IV located in the center.
Plaza de la Cibeles, in front of the main Post Office, stands at the junction of the Paseo del Prado, Paseo de Recoletos and Calle de Alcalá.
The Plaza de la Villa is surrounded by a number of impressive old buildings, which include the Town Hall, the Casa de Cisneros, and the Torre de los Lujanes.
Puerta del Sol is a popular square and busy traffic intersection, known for being the starting point or Kilometer Zero for all national roads.
Both Picasso and Dalí were students of the acclaimed Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.
The church of San Andrés stands on the Plaza de San Andrés. It was rebuilt in the mid 17th C but severely damaged during the Civil War in 1936.
The Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes is a fine Baroque building which also served as a hospital for a period of time.
The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando is located in a former palace, which was completely stripped of its Baroque facade and replaced with a Neo-Classical design.
The 18th C San Francisco el Grande was based on the design of the Church of Santa Maria in Campitel in Rome, and the Neo-Classical facade was the work of Francisco Sabatini.
San Isidro was built in Jesuit Baroque style. The Instituto de San Isidro adjoins the church and has long enjoyed an excellent reputation.
The Puente de Segovia is the oldest bridge over the Manzanares in Madrid.
Philip II commissioned his favorite architect, Juan de Herrera, to build this bridge in place of the Puente Segoviano, and it was opened to traffic in 1584. It now links the city center with the outer districts to the SW.
Transit: Metro: Opera; Bus: 25, 31, 33, 36, 39, 65, N8.
The Toledo Bridge was constructed during the reign of King Philip V. It was built by Pedro de Ribera and is one of the finest monuments created during that time period.
Arco de Cuchilleros, meaning arch of the swordsmen, is a stone arch covering one of the stairways leading into Plaza Mayor from Cuchilleros street. In the 1700's it was a place where swords and knives were sharpened since it was close to the butcher's area in the Plaza.
In the Calle Princesa there is a large department store, a shopping center and 44 other shops. There is an emphasis on clothing shops.
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
With the help of the National Library, the museum explores the evolution of communication from the beginning of the written word to modern day.
Address:
Biblioteca Nacional, Paseo de Recoletos 20, E-28071 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10:15am-9pm; Sun: 10:15am-2pm; Closed: Mon
Transit: Buses: 1, 5, 9, 19, 21, 27, 45, 51, 53, 74, and 150; Metro: Colon and Serrano
This street and the streets running off it are well-known for their antique and craft shops. Furniture, ceramics, weapons, paintings and jewelry can be bought here, and opticians and fur dealers are also based here. Nearby on the Plaza de Neptuno the Galería del Prado is situated. This is a new and expensive shopping center with 38 shops (mostly boutiques) covering an area of 4,350sq.m/46,800sq.ft.
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
In the converted royal stables in the Campo del Moro behind the Palacio Real and opened in 1967 is a noteworthy collection of sedan-chairs and carriages. The entrance is situated on the Paseo Virgen del Puerto, the main section of a popular promenade for strollers in the 18th C. The oldest exhibit is Charles V's sedan chair, dating from the 16th C. and in the style of a covered traveling trunk. Also on display is the carriage of Juana la Loca, as well as some magnificent coaches used in the 19th C. by parliamentary representatives.
Address:
Museo de Carruajes, Virgen del Puerto, E-28005 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
9am-6pm; Sun: 9am-3pm
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Transit: Metro: Norte (from Opera); Bus: 5, 25, 33, 39, 41, 500, M1, C.
In the attractive area round the Plaza de las Salesas Reales, near the Museo Romántico and the Teatro Nacional María Guerrero, visitors will be struck by the distinctive facade of the Casa Longoria. Built in 1902 by the Catalan architect José Grases Riera, this reflects the influence of Catalan Modernism and its greatest architect Antonio Gaudí. The building is now the headquarters of the Sociedad de Autores (Spanish Writers' Society). It is worth looking into the entrance hall to see the unusual staircase.
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Transit: Metro: Alonso Martinez; Bus: 37.
Formerly a butcher shop, Casa de la Carnicería now houses municipal offices.
Close to the Casa de Lope de Vega, at the intersection of Calle de Cervantes and Calle del León, there once stood the house in which Cervantes died on April 23, 1616 but which was demolished in the 19th C.
The Church of San José was built between 1730 and 1742 by Pedro Ribera.
Address:
Iglesia de San José, Calle de Alcalá 43, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
In the 15th century the Church of St Peter the Old was built with a 14th century mudejar tower built over the minaret of a former mosque.
The Church of the Calatravas is a Baroque temple that was remodeled in the 19th century.
Behind the Auditorio Nacional de Musica on the busy Calle Priàncipe de Vergara the new city museum has been opened.
Address:
City Museum, Calle Priàncipe de Vergara 140, Madrid , Spain
Hours:
July 1 to August 31: 10am-2pm, 5pm-8pm; Closed: Mon
September 1 to June 30: 10am-2pm, 4pm-7pm; Closed: Mon, Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Epiphany (3 Kings' Day ) - Christian (January 6), Madrid Day - Spain (May 2), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Tips: On weekends open only during the morning hours.
Transit: Metro: Cruz del Rayo; buses 1, 9, 29, 52 and 73
Tapestries, furniture and pictures of Madrid.
Address:
Colección Municipal, Plaza de la Villa 4 / 5, Madrid , Spain
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Transit: Buses: 3, 23, 65, 50, 31; Metro: Sol
The convent was built in 1607 and currently houses a collection of paintings.
This Convent of the Reparadoras was designed in 1782 by Ventura Rodriguez and dates to about the 19th century. The church was built for the purpose of installing the Court of the Inquisition.
Velazquez painted "Christ on the Cross" in 1638 for the convent of San Placido.
Hours:
10am-12pm, 4pm-6pm; Closed: Sat
This classical building with its central ballroom is used for various artistic exhibitions.
Address:
Círculo de Bellas Artes, Calle Marqués de Casa Riera 2, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
5pm-9pm; Sun: 11am-2pm; Sat: 11am-2pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Open during the evenings on weekends.
The park has a central vista with ramps on both side leading from the palace to the fountain. The informal woodland has grown a great variety of shrubs and trees which include maples, oriental planes, magnolias and Judas trees.
Address:
Jardín Campo del Moro, Paseo Virgen del Puerto, E-28005 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
April 1 to September 30: 10am-8pm; Sun: 9am-8pm
October 1 to March 31: 10am-6pm; Sun: 9am-6pm
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Transit: Buses: 25, 33, 39, 41, 46, 68, 69, 75, 138; Metro: Principe Pio
The Vicente Calderón Stadium, on the banks of the Manzanares, can accommodate 70,000 spectators, and is thus Madrid's second largest football ground (coming after the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium). It belongs to the Atlético de Madrid Club, which inaugurated its first pitch in 1903. During the 1920s Atlético played in the Metropolitano Stadium near Ciudad Universitaria, moving to the Vicente Calderón Stadium in the 1970s. Some of the matches in the 1982 World Cup were played here.
Address:
Estadio Vicente Calderón, Paseo Virgen del Puerto 67, E-28005 Madrid, Spain
Transit: Metro: Piramides and Marques de Vadillo; Bus: 17, 18, 23, 34, 35, 36, 50, 116, 118 and 119
Paintings, furniture, tapestries and documents concerning the Dukes of Alba.
Hours:
1pm-5pm; Closed: Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
Tips: Visits by prior arrangement.
Another shopping center is the Galería del Prado on the Plaza de las Cortes 7 with 38 shops offering exclusive goods.
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
The museum features six collections; Systematic Minerals, Mineral Resources, Minerals from the Autonomous Regions, Spanish Flora and Fossilized Invertebrates, Foreign Fossils and Fossilized Vertebrates. These includes over 3,500 minerals and 6,000 fossils.
Address:
Geomining Museum, Ríos Rosas 23, E-28003 Madrid, Spain
Transit: Buses: 3, 12, 37 and 44; Metro: Rios Rosas
This is the chapel where famous painter Francisco de Goya is buried. The dome of the chapel was painted by Goya in 1798.
Hours:
10am-2pm, 4pm-8pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Only open during morning hours on the weekends.
Closed on public holidays.
Admission free on Wednesdays and Sundays
Transit: Buses: 14, 26, and 32
This newspaper museum contains the largest collection of newspapers and periodicals in Spain.
Address:
Hemeroteca Municipal, Calle Conde Duque 9-11, E-28015 Madrid, Spain
The Moorish-style villa of the art-collector Guillermo de Osma and his wife, Condesa de Valencia de Don Juan, houses one of the most attractive museums in Madrid, relatively little visited by tourists. The collection, founded in 1916, includes arms and armor, miniatures, Flemish tapestries, coins, autograph manuscripts, fabrics and jewelry. The pottery of the Spanish/Arab and Mudéjar periods is of particular quality, and the pictures include an El Greco and several early Goya drawings.
Address:
Instituto Valencia de Don Juan, Calle de Fortuny 43, E-28010 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Tips: Open by appointment only.
Transit: Metro: Colon, Alonso Martinez, Ruben Dario; Bus: 5, 7, 14, 16, 27, 40, M6, M12.
This 24-hour shopping center lies in the north of Madrid, at Avda. Pío XII, 2, near Chamartín Station. A complete range of food and household goods are available.
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
The terrace has a formal layout of clipped box hedges with a square pool and fountain surrounded by four Spanish firs. Equestrian statues flank generous steps that lead to a circular pool and a statue of Charles III.
|
| Los Jardines de Sabatini in Madrid. |
|
Hours:
9:30am-5pm; Sun: 9:30am-2pm
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Guides: Guided tour available as optional extra.
The Planetartium presents 45 minute programmes on astronomy and features two additional exhibition rooms.
Address:
Madrid Planetarium, Parque Tierno Galván, Madrid , Spain
Hours:
9:30am-1:45pm, 5pm-7:45pm; Sun: 11am-1:45pm, 5pm-7:45pm; Sat: 11am-1:45pm, 5pm-7:45pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
These two streets have always been especially lively and popular shopping thoroughfares. Among the long-established firms there have traditionally been many textile and cloth dealers, jewelers and clockmakers and above all dealers in militaria, stamps and coins. More recently music shops have become established.
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
A surface area of 19,000sq.m/205,000sq.ft houses 155 exclusive shops and galleries, and also provides space for exhibitions, conferences and cultural events.
Address:
Mercado Puerta de Toledo, Ronda de Toledo 1, E-28005 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10:30am-9pm; Sun: 10:30am-1:30pm
The Madrid Metro opened its first line in 1919. It is a full metro with 158 stations on 115km of track. There are 10 lines.
Trains run every two to three minutes during peak hours and every three to five minutes at other times. Trains run from 06:00 till 01:30.
Extensions totaling 28km are proposed for construction through to 2002. Work was scheduled to start in 1995 on the Line 10 section from Alonso Martinez to Nuevos Ministerios for a 1998 opening. Other lines include extensions of Lines 4 and 8 to meet at Hortaleza, and a southern extension of Line 5 or 6 to Carabanchel.
|
| Metro train rides into station in Madrid. |
|
Address:
Madrid Metro Customer Service, Cavanilles 58, E-28007 Madrid, Spain
Built in 1769 the Buenavista Palace currently serves as the Spanish Military Headquarters.
On the Avenida del General Perón a modern shopping center has been built with 78 shops, cultural facilities and banks.
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
The museum offers a collection of items collected by missionaries from Zaire, Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Cameroon. Objects include clothing, jewelry, musical instruments, wooden and ivory carvings, masks, weapons, charms and tools.
Address:
Museo Africano, Arturo Soria 101, E-28027 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
October 1 to June 30: 11:30am-2pm; Closed: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Tips: Closed July to September.
The museum offers displays on Spain, the Phillippines, Africa, Oceania, and America.
Address:
Museo Nacional de Etnología, Calle de Alfonso XII 68, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10am-6pm; Sun: 10am-2pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
The museum, originally designed for the purpose of training new engravers in the 18th century, displays drawings, engravings, books, coins and medals.
Address:
Royal Mint Museum, Doctor Esquerdo 36, E-28009 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10am-7:30pm; Sun: 10am-2pm; Sat: 10am-2pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Transit: Metro: Lines 6, (O'Donnell), 2 and 4 (Goya); Buese 2, 28, 30, 56, 71, 143
The museum focuses on the cultural diversity of people from all over the world, displaying an array of anthropological artifacts.
Address:
National Anthropology Museum, Alfonso XII 68, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10am-7:30pm; Sun: 10am-2pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Transit: Buses: 6, 10, 14, 19, 24, 26, 27, 29, 32, 34, 37, 39, 41, 45, 57, 85, 150
Completed in 1989, this concert center is the home of the Radio and Television Orchestras, as well as the Spanish National Orchestra, which was formerly based in the Teatro Real. In Hall A (Auditorio principal) there are over 2,280 seats, in Hall B, designed for chamber music, over 707. The center can also claim the highest international standards in terms of its technical and acoustical specifications.
Address:
Auditorio Nacional de Música, Priàncipe de Vergara 146, E-28002 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Transit: Metro: Cruz del Rayo; Bus: 29, 52.
The National Lyrical Theater offers Spanish opera performances throughout the fall months.
Address:
Teatro Lírico Nacional de la Zarzuela, Jovellanos 4, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
Transit: Metro: Banco de Espana
The National Museum of Decorative Arts contains over 60,000 items. Most of the focus is on Europe and the Orient.
Address:
National Museum of Decorative Arts, Montalbán 12, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
9:30am-3pm; Sun: 10am-3pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
A number of exhibits including ones on Geology, Paleontology, Zoology and Mineralogy, have been recently added to the museum.
A wide number of meteorites are an exceptionally valuable part of the museums collection, as are the fossil of 550million year old gastropod and the numerous skeletons of other dinosaurs.
A section displaying the evolution of humanity from Australopithecus onwards to Homo Sapien Sapien.
Address:
National Museum of Natural Sciences, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10am-6pm; Sun: 10am-2:30pm; Sat: 10am-8pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Transit: Buses: 7, 12, 14, 27, 40, 45, 147 and 150; Metro: Lines Gregorio Maranon, Nuevos Ministerios, Rios Rosas
The National Science and Technology Museum explores the history or science and technological advances through the ages.
Address:
National Science and Technology Museum, Paseo de las Delicias 61, Madrid , Spain
Hours:
10am-2pm, 4pm-6pm; Sun: 10am-2:30pm, 4pm-6pm; Closed: Mon
Transit: Buses: 8, 19, 45, 47, 59, 85, 86; Metro: Line 3
The museum features a variety of historical items from the 15th century to present day.
Address:
Naval Museum, Paseo del Prado, 5, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10am-4pm; Sun: 11am-4pm; Sat: 11am-4pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Under the flyover which crosses the busy Paseo de la Castellana between the Paseo de Eduardo Dato and Calle de Juan Bravo is the municipal open-air Museum of Abstract Art, with work presented by leading Spanish artists.
The display begins with works by Julio González and Alberto Sánchez, members of the avant-garde of the 1920s and 1930s. The collection includes work by such leading contemporary sculptors as Andrés Alfaro, Pablo Serrano, Martín Chirino, José María Subirachs and Amadeo Gabino; notable are Eduardo Chillida's "Stranded Mermaid" and Joan Miró's "Mère Ubu".
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Transit: Metro: Ruben Dario; Bus: 14, 27, 40, M3, M6.
The Palace of the Marquis Grimaldi was designed by Sabatini in 1776 and it adjoins the Senate Palace.
Memorials (19th and 20th C.) of Sagsta, Eduardo Dato, Cánovas de Castillo, Rios Rosas, etc.
Address:
Panteón de Hombres Ilustres, Julián Gayarre 3, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
9am-2pm; Closed: Sun, Sat
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
Transit: Metro: Atocha; Buses: 14, 26, 32, and C
Parque Enrique Tierno Galván, south of the Atocha Station, contains the Planetarium of Madrid.
Parque de la Fuente del Berro in the east of Madrid occupies almost 80,000 sq.m/87,520 sq.yd. Its slopes, footpaths and fountains were laid out by order of King Carlos II at the end of the 17th C.
The Plaza de Santa Ana in front of the Teatro Español takes its name from a Carmelite convent which stood opposite the Corral del Príncipe in the 17th C. The square was given its present aspect in 1810 by King Joseph I Bonaparte, who made it one of the finest squares in Madrid, pulling down the convent and seven other buildings, planting trees and setting a fountain in the center.
In 1868 there were further demolitions and a monument to the great 17th C. dramatist Calderón was erected on one side of the square.
At the corner of Calle Lope de Vega and Calle de Quevedo is a tablet recording that the writer Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645) lived here. His rival Góngora (1561-1627) is also believed to have occupied the house about 1619.
In this garden, there is a brick gateway which leads to a square dominated by a round pool and fountain with a decorative urn in the center and surrounded by clipped priver. The garden contains a decorative duck-pond, waterfall, several monuments and dovecote.
The museum displays the largest collection of historic locomotives and travellers carriages in Europe. It is housed in the Las Delicias Station.
Address:
Railway Museum, Paseo de las Delicias 61, E-28045 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10am-3pm; Tue: 10am-5pm; Wed: 10am-5pm; Thu: 10am-5pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Admission free on Saturdays.
Transit: Metro: Line 3 (Delicias)
The Exhibition of the Best Trophies displays all of the European Cups as well as other related materials.
Address:
Real Madrid Football Club Trophy Exhibition, Paseo de la Castellana 144
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Puerta 3, Madrid , Spain
Hours:
10:30am-7:30pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
The Romantic Museum is housed in a late 18th C. palace in one of the narrow lanes dating from the 19th C. expansion of Madrid. The nucleus of the museum was the collection of the Marqués de la Vega Inclán, which was bequeathed to the State in 1920.
The architecture and furnishing of the museum and the works of art displayed in it - including pictures by Murillo, Zurbarán, Mengs, Goya and Sorolla - are redolent of the atmosphere of aristocratic and upper-middle-class life in the reign of Isabella II.
Address:
Romantic Museum, Calle San Mateo 13, E-28004 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
September 1 to July 31: 9:30am-3pm; Sun: 10am-2pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Closed in August.
Transit: Metro: Tribunal; Bus: 3, 7, 37, 40, 48, M10.
Carpets, tapestries and designs. The manufacture of carpets and wall-hangings can be viewed.
Address:
Royal Carpet and Tapestry Factory, Calle Fuenterrabia 2, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10am-2pm; Closed: Sun, Sat
Tips: Closed in August.
In this district are to be found the most exclusive and elegant shops in Madrid. Antique hunters will also find their time here well spent.
Hours:
Always closed on: Madrid Day - Spain (May 2)
The Church of San Marcos, the last of the great Baroque buildings of Madrid, stands in the old Amaniel district, and is immediately northeast of the Gran Vía and the Edificio de España. San Marcos was designed by Ventura Rodríguez (1717-85), who modeled his plan of five intersecting ellipses on the churches of Bernini and Borromini. The interior, dominated by its central dome, with ceiling-paintings by Roberto Michael and Luís González, is of impressive effect.
Transit: Metro: Plaza de Espana; Bus: 1, 2, 44, 74, C, N9, M8.
The Baroque Church of San Martín, built in 1761 by an unknown architect, stands in the Plaza de Luna in Madrid, just off the Gran Vía with its busy traffic. The brick facade with its two towers may have been designed by Churriguera. The church has fine effigies of saints by Pedro de Mena, Gregorio Hernández, José Mora and Pedro Alonso de los Ríos and pictures by Claudio Coello, Juan Ricci and Carreño. In the earlier Church of San Martín the writer Francisco de Quevedo is said to have had a gallant encounter with a lady which made it necessary for him to flee to Italy.
Transit: Metro: Callao; Bus: 1, 2, 44, 46, 74, 147, 148, N8, N9.
San Nicolás is Madrid's oldest church, though only the brick tower survives from the original structure - one of the few examples of Mudéjar architecture in the city. The horseshoe arches at the entrance to the choir and the stucco decoration are also in Mudéjar style.
The reredos on the High Altar was the work of Juan de Herrera, the architect of the Escorial, who was buried in San Nicolás; his remains were later removed to his native town of Santander.
Address:
San Nicolás, Calle San Nicolás 1, Madrid , Spain
Transit: Metro: Opera; Bus: 3, 149.
The current seat of the Spanish Senate, the Senate Palace was originally built in the 16th century for a community of Agustinian friars.
The art villa, built in 1911 by Joaquin Sorolla, houses some hundred works by this little-known impressionist painter, dating from 1890 to 1920. Of interest are the prestigious salon, a rural kitchen, a dining room with a decorative ''oranges and lemons'' frieze and the artist's studio.
Address:
Sorolla Museum, General Martínez Campos 37, E-28010 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
9:30am-3pm; Sun: 10am-3pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Madrid Day - Spain (May 2), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
This Spanish comedy theater has operated here since 1875 though a fire destroyed the original building in 1915. The reconstructed building uses a multibalconied horseshoe-style layout in the traditional manner.
Address:
Teatro de la Comedia, Calle Príncipe 14, E-28014 Madrid, Spain
The museum explores the development of telecommunications in Spain, including primitive communication systems, satellite connections, 19th century telephones, and current communications.
Address:
Telecommunications Museum, Fuencarral 3, E-28004 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10am-2pm, 5pm-8pm; Closed: Mon
The museum displays are designed to be touched. Items include works blind and visually impaired artists as well as blind material and sculptures by contemporary artists.
Address:
The Blind Museum, La Coruña 18, E-28020 Madrid, Spain
Hours:
10am-2pm, 5pm-8pm; Closed: Sun, Mon
Transit: Metro: Line 1 (Estrecho); Buses: 3, 42, 43, 64, 124, 125 and 127
The Puerta de Toledo is one of Madrid's two surviving city gates, the other being the Puerta de Alcalá. It stands in a wide square at the end of the Calle de Toledo. The gate was built during the short period of Joseph I Bonaparte's government. Begun as a triumphal arch in honor of Napoleon, it was, by the time of its completion in 1817, the symbol of the Bourbon King Ferdinand VII's return to ther Spanish throne and the end of French rule.
|
| Puerta Toledo in Madrid. |
|
Transit: Metro: Puerta de Toledo; Bus: 17, 23, 35, 60, N7.
Madrid Surroundings
The former royal summer residence of Aranjuez is la unique town aid out in a geometrical plan with Baroque and Rococo palaces, and extensive gardens.
Mendoza Castle is a Gothic-Mudéjar style fortress from the 15th C. Tourists can see the castle on a guided tour.
Monasterio El Paular is still functioning and occupied by Benedictine monks. Surrounding buildings have been turned into hotel accommodation.
Read More
Art Gallery
Read More
Read Less
Royal Monastery and Palace of the Escorial, El Escorial
Royal Palace, Madrid
Prado Museum, Madrid
Plaza de Oriente, Madrid
Manzanares el Real - Mendoza Castle, Madrid
Gran Vía, Madrid
Parque del Retiro, Madrid
