Plaza Mayor has been at the centre of numerous historical events since the seventeenth century, from trials by the Inquisition to bullfights, religious gatherings and receptions for returning heroes.
The Plaza is now a peaceful, cobbled square enclosed within a rectangle of elegant buildings and outdoor cafes, populated by portrait artists, living statues, busking musicians and plenty of visitors.
Dominating the scene is the equestrian statue of Felipe III, framed by erotic drawings on the façade of the buildings opposite. With old and new sitting comfortably side by side, it's a great place for coffee or lunch at the start or end of a walk through the old city.
Plaza Mayor to Puerta del Sol
A few hundred meters of narrow, pedestrianized streets leads from Plaza Mayor to the Calle Mayor and Puerta Del Sol, another lively centre of activity with an equestrian statue as its focus. Though now a bustling business and tourist area and the scene of New Year’s revelry, the square has had a turbulent history, including violent demonstrations, political proclamations and, in 1912, the assassination of a prime minister.
A statue of a bear sniffing a fruit tree represents the rights of residents to the city’s above-ground resources while the Catholic Church traditionally claimed the soil beneath. The bear statue has become an iconic symbol of the city where tourists line up to photograph each other. Kilometer zero, the point of origin of Spain’s road network is nearby, in front of the old Ministry of Interior building that became notorious as a torture centre during the Franco period from 1939 to 1975.
Letras District
The lanes of Old Madrid often open on to surprising, pretty traffic-free squares, like the Plaza de Jacinto Benavente, south of Puerta del Sol, where pedestrians wander among cafes, souvenir shops and a giant bronze statue of a street sweeper. From here the Calle de las Huertas passes through the Letras district where Spain’s leading writers traditionally gathered. Quotations from Cervantes, Zorilla and Echegaray are embedded in the pavement, and Cervantes’ was buried nearby.
The Calle de las Huertas leads to the Paseo del Prado highway from which a choice of three world-class art galleries are within a few steps.
Art Galleries
The Museo del Prado houses paintings collected over many years by the Royal family. The result is a wonderful assembly of Spanish masterpieces, especially works by Velazquez and Goya, together with Italian, Flemish, French and a few German pieces. Art enthusiasts will need more than one visit to fully appreciate the Prado.
The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza is home to another of the world’s great art collections, assembled since the 1920s by the family for whom the gallery is named and sold to the Spanish nation in 1993.
Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
Perhaps less intimidating for the more casual visitor is the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. Housed in an eighteenth century building that originally served as Madrid’s General Hospital, with a modern extension, this is the place to see twentieth century Spanish art. Many of the best-known pieces by Picasso, Miro and Dali are displayed. Much of the work reflects the trauma and horrors of the 1936-39 civil war, including a fine collection of Robert Cappa’s haunting black and white photographs.
By far the best-known artwork of the civil war, and now an international treasure, is the seven-meter long Guernica which is the focal point of the gallery. The accompanying collection of Picasso’s preliminary sketches show how he gradually worked out the harrowing montage of images that have become so familiar, and provide a fascinating insight into the work of a genius.
Beyond the museums the open spaces of the Botanical Gardens and the Parque del Retiro mark the end of one walk, and perhaps the start of another.
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