Madrid's rich cultural heritage continues to evolve rapidly.
The city's modern-day cultural life is fundamental to this change. It's no
surprise that Madrid, which combines artistic
tradition with an open-minded spirit, is at the forefront of Europe
in terms of music, theatre, dance, cinema, art, architecture and design. With
more than 70 museums, 30 theatres and 50 music and concert halls there is a
huge variety to choose from.
One of Madrid's best artistic itineraries, known as
the Paseo del Arte (the artistic stroll) is bounded by three world-renowned
museums: the Museo del Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum and the National
Art Centre of Reina Sofía. Physically all very close together, these museums
are located in one of the most beautiful zones of Madrid and are very near to several
distinctive landmarks: Atocha train station, the Botanic Gardens, the Paseo del
Prado and the Plaza de Neptuno. They are also located very close are the Plaza
de la Cibeles and the Puerta de Alcalá, arguably two of Madrid's most emblematic monuments. El Prado Museum: This is one of the world's best and most famous art museums. It was commissioned
to be built be Charles III and was designed by the architect Juan de Villanueva
in 1785, who projected it as a handsome neoclassical building.
Its current collection is one of the largest collections of Spanish art ranking
from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Paintings by Velázquez, El Greco and Goya
are all worth a visit to the museum for themselves. There are also exhibitions
of the Flamencan, Italian, German, French and English schools.
The museum has commissioned a new building that has been designed by Rafael
Moneo (Pritzker Prize for Architecture of 1996; one of most prestigious
architectural awards) and will occupy an area of around 17,000 m2. Its
construction will cost in the region of 42.6 million euros. The main objective
of the new building is to be able to display the art collections that, at the
moment, can't be displayed because of lack of space.
The Thyssen-Bornemisa Museum: This museum contains over 800 works of art, ranging from the early Italians
to those who were the vanguard of the twentieth century, covering the German
Renaissance, Dutch art of the 17th century and North American art from the 19th
century. It's worth mentioning some of the unique works of artists such as
Giovanna Tornabuoni, de Ghirlandio, Santa Catalina de Alejandría, de Caravaggio
o de Hopper.
The collection, transferred to the Palace
of Villahermosa in 1992, was acquired
a year later by the Spanish
State; this after
arriving at an agreement with the Thyssen family.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza
Museum hopes to complete
its expansion, which will create space for the private collection of the
Baroness Thyssen, Carmen Cervera. The collection, with works dating from the
17th to the 20th centuries and includes works of Spanish and Universal art,
will occupy 16 new halls to be located in the contiguous Palace of Villahermosa.
The project is the work of the Spanish architects Manuel Baquero and Francesc
Plá.
The Reina Sofía National Art Centre: Located in an old hospital and constructed by Sabatini in 1776, this
important museum of contemporaneous art includes works of the most significant
art movements of the 20th century such as cubism, surrealism, vanguard of the
40s and 50s, pop art etc.
The Centre holds important collections of Spanish art and sculpture by
important authors such as Dalí, Picasso, Juan Gris, Chillida and Tàpies.
This is perhaps the most ambitious remodelling project. With a budget of 68.4
million euros, and the significant changes that will be made to the surrounding
areas of Madrid
including the Charles V roundabout, the work was completed in Spring of 2004
and comprises three modern constructions joined to the historic building of
Sabatini. This increases the area for exhibitions by more than 50%.
Madrid
recuperates its historic views
The process of change has been completed by the remodelling of the roads
delineated by the Prado-Recoletos.
In the 18th century, the so-called ‘salón del Prado' was a meeting place for
the people of Madrid
who went there to see and to be seen. The axis Recoletas-Prado today is highly
congested with traffic but will change its image dramatically thanks to the project
by the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza (winner of the prestigious Pritzker
Prize) and the Spanish architect Miguel Harnández León (Director of the Madrid
School of Architecture).
The largest urban remodelling project of the Spanish capital tries - according
to the project authors - to recuperate and improve the cultural, scenic and
environmental values of one of the places that can be considered as the
cultural golden triangle. Within a limit that goes from the Plaza de Colón to
the Glorieta de Carlos V, the three main museums of Madrid are found: the Prado,
Thyssen-Bornemisza, and Reina Sofía, as well as emblematic places such as the
Plazas of Cibeles and Neptuno.
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Santa Isabel, 52
Tel.: +34 91 467 50 62 www.museoreinasofia.mcu.es
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
Paseo del Prado, 8
Tel.: +34 91 369 01 51 www.museothyssen.org
2. TASTES OF MADRID
Because the city of Madrid is a melting pot for
all the communities of Spain,
the local gastronomy consists of many flavours at the same time. It's said that
if you want to sample the regional flavour of any part of Spain you can find it represented in Madrid, only better than
the province of its origin! In Madrid
it's possible to taste an unrivalled Asturian fabada or unravel the flavours of
a Valencian paella or sample a delicious Catalonian escalibada.
The reason for this mixture of regional flavours has
its origins in history. When, in 1561, Felipe II decided to transfer his Court
from Toledo to Madrid,
waves of immigrants from all over Spain arrived. With them they
bought their customs and regional gastronomic delicacies.
As the capital city of the country, for many centuries
Madrid has been the destination for the best products the country has to offer;
olive oil, hams and cheeses, oranges and lemons, fish and shellfish, meat of
all types, in short, just about anything the palate could desire. The fruit and
vegetable markets are amongst the largest in the world and, because of the huge
amount of fish and shellfish that is consumed in Madrid
on a daily basis, the city is known as the ‘largest port in Spain'.
An excellent example of regional cooking can be found in the Casa de Campo
where, the Town Hall
of Madrid has created
what has come to be known as the ‘Paseo de la Gastronomia' or the ‘Gastronomic
Passage'. Here you can find representatives of the best of Spanish restaurants.
But Madrid
also enjoys its own special gastronomy. The most common dish is known as cocido
madrileño which, for many years was the daily diet for every layer of society.
The dish is served in three parts and is a meal in itself. First there's a
soup. This is followed by vegetables and topped off with a meat course.
Another of the specialities of Madrid
are its tapas. Going on the tapa trail consists of moving between bars and
taverns and trying small portions of culinary specialities which can be hot or
cold and are accompanied by beer, wine or vermouth. The big brothers of the
tapa are what are known as raciones. In Madrid
is usual to go for tapas with friends and family in one of the many
restaurants, bars of taverns that Madrid
can offer. Patatas bravas (spicy potatoes), champiñones (small mushrooms in a
rich sauce), tortilla de patata (the famous Spanish omelette), gambas al ajillo
(prawns in garlic), huevos estrellados (fish eggs) or croquetas de pollo (chicken
croquettes) are only some of the multiple type of tapa that can be savoured in
bars around Madrid.
Then there's the new cuisine that's gaining in
popularity in Madrid;
the type that some call, ‘author's cooking' and others vanguard. The result is
a mixture of new tastes together with novel ways in which to present dishes.
This ‘design cooking' has also arrived to the world of the tapa and there are
more and more chefs who are concentrating their skills on the creation of
‘creative tapas'.
The gastronomy of Madrid today is universal. Arabic, Greek,
Mexican, Italian, Chinese, American, Indian, French and Japanese; there isn't a
country, a culture or a race that isn't gastronomically represented in Madrid.
The city has over 2,900 registered restaurants and is the headquarters of
gastronomic houses and important culinary chains such as the International Conference
of Madrid Fusion Gastronomy and the International Gourmet Club. And, to top it
all, the city is proud to be home to the representative for Spain in the Nobel Prize for
Gastronomy, the Bocuse d'Or , the madrileño Mario Sandoval.
3. PUERTA DE ALCALÁ AND FUENTE DE CIBELES
During the reign of Carlos III, two emblematic monuments were erected in Madrid. The Puerta de
Alcalá, located in the Plaza de la Independencia and symbol of the Court of
Spain, was erected between 1769 and 1778 in commemoration of the entrance of
Carloss III into Madrid.
The author of the project was Francisco Sabatini, who designed a monument in
baroque style with Italian influences. The monument comprises a single body
with five openings, three in the form of arches.
The designer of the Fuente of Cibeles (Cibeles
Fountain) was Ventura Rodríguez. His creation is an allegory to the gods of
fertility over the field and animals. The lions symbolise Hipómenes and Atalanta,
who were condemned by Afroditas to pull a chariot.
Around the fountain, that's found in a square of the
same name, there are important buildings such as the Palace
of Telecommunications, now the Post
Office, the Linares Palace, headquarters of the Casa de America, the Palace of Bellavista, whose actual function is as
the General Headquarters of the Army and the Bank of Spain.
4. A NIGHT AT THE ÓPERA OR A MUSICAL
There's a huge and growing offer of shows and operas that Madrid offers to its inhabitants and
visitors. One of the most spectacular is the opera season, one of the most
attractive in Europe since the reopening of
the Royal Theatre in 1997 after a complete programme of refurbishment.
Those who are addicted to the bel canto can enjoy the
prestigious advantages of the "Madrid Ópera In" (MOI), a tourist
product of high quality that has been designed with either individuals of
groups in mind. The productions are the result of a fruitful collaboration
between the Municipal Office of Tourism, the Royal Theatre and a group of
specialist agencies.
The MOI offers a complete tourist package that
includes an operatic performance in the Royal Theatre, a night in a luxury
hotel with breakfast included and a guided visit of the Madrid
of the Austrias.
There is also the possibility of planning museum visits and excursions to other
cities and areas around Madrid.
You can also reserve restaurants, concerts and other shows.
Apart from this, people are beginning to say that Madrid is almost like
Broadway. There are no less that five musical theatres that always have a
complete musical programme on offer. These include the Teatro Nuevo Apolo, the Nuevo Teatro
Alcalá, the Teatro Amaya, the Teatro Coliseum and the Teatro Lope de
Vega.
The heart of Madrid
lies in the Puerta del Sol. This grand square was built in 1478 as a gate in
the city walls. From this point the most important streets of the XVII century
radiated like spokes on a bicycle. These include the Calle de Alacalá and the Carrera de San
Jerónimo.
The Royal Post Office was built during the reign of Carlos III and is now home
to Government of the Autonomous Community of Madrid. The square is almost as it
was in the XIX century and its here that kilometre 0, the centre of Spain.
The square is also the place where the famous statue of the bear of Madrid is kept.
The Plaza del Sol is the emblematic place that, every
New Year's Eve, thousands of Madrileños celebrate a new beginning. Each one
carries twelve grapes that are eaten as each bell rings the twelfth hour.<
6. SHOPPING IN MADRID
Any visit to Madrid
must reserve at least a morning or an evening free to go shopping. And there
are several characteristic areas of the city such as the Barrio de Salamanca or
the streets of Serrano, José Ortega, Gasset and Goya where the most exclusive
shops of the town are found.
In the area known as the Preciados, Carmen and the
Gran Via there is a plethora of popular shops and commercial centres with every
available for any taste. This is nowhere more evident that in the centre of Madrid; the Plaza Mayor,
Puerta del Sol or the Palacio Real are full of small traditional shops many of
which still conserve their ancient decoration. There are old chemist shops,
religious artefacts, silversmiths, specialist artisans and many others.
7. FLAMENCO
Even though Madrid
isn't the cradle of flamenco, the Spanish capital is considered almost like a
‘cathedral' to the art of flamenco. Every artist who's anyone has to triumph in
Madrid to
really leave their mark and to be internationally recognised. The city has
several famous ‘tablaos flamencos' or taverns where flamenco is the main entertainment
and there are regular festivals of flamenco held in the major theatres
throughout the city.
8. PASSION NIGHTS
Any visitor coming to Madrid will undoubtedly know that the capital city is one
of the most lively and party towns of the world, both by day and by night. Just
about every day of the week and until the early hours its easy to find a
discothèque that's rocking, a pub, a jazz club or bar that always provides a
warm welcome or a colourful group of people willing and ready to explore new
relationships.
And during spring, the city life moves into the
streets; cafes and street terraces and open air cafes spring up all over the
place.
A typical night in Madrid finishes with a hot chocolate with
‘churros' in a traditional café on a tree-lined boulevard.
9. THE RETIRO PARK
At the beginning of the XVII century, Felipe II ordered the construction of the
Royal Park of El Buen Retiro as his principal recreational residence.
He lined the walkways with statues, small palaces and,
today, it's in the spring and summer that the area can best be enjoyed.
The lake area is one of the best areas in which to
enjoy the part, especially in the early part of the year. This is especially so
on Saturdays and Sundays when the area fills with showmen, musicians, mime
artists and artists. Another famous fair, the Book Fair, is held in the Paseo
de Coches on the last two weekends of May.
However, the Park of El Buen Retiro
isn't the only large park in the city. The West Park,
The Royal Botanic Gardens, the Country House and the Capricho of the Alemeda de
Osuna are only some of the others that dot the city.
10. MODERN MADRID
Modern Madrid is centred on the famous Paseo de la Castellana, probably the
most famous and best known of all Madrid's
streets.
This street, the continuation of the Paseo del Prado
and the Paseo de Recoletos and it was during the reign of Isabel II when
building works began to incorporate it into the city proper. At this time small
palaces for the more comfortable classes began to appear. However, since this
time, many of the palaces have disappeared and have been replaced by offices,
banks and hotels.
Some of Madrid's
most famous buildings line the route. These include the impressive Torre
Picasso, clocking in at 150 metres tall, the skyscraper that houses the BBVA
bank, at 105 metres high and the Torre Europa, which reaches up to 113 metres
above the pavement. At the end of the Paseo de la Castellana are the Torres
Kio, also known as the Gates of Europe, which is comprised of two leaning
towers emulating a triumphal arc and which have a total of 27 floors built of
metal, glass and ingenuity.
Also on this famous avenue is the football stadium of Real Madrid (www.realmadrid.es), the Santiago Bernabeu.
This was the first building that was built on the extension of the Castellana
with works beginning in 1944. The stadium houses more than 90,000 spectators
who, after a home victory, gather in the Plaza de Cibeles to celebrate.
"MADRID CARD": THE TOURIST CARD FOR MADRID
The main objective of the card is to offer visitors to Madrid a collection of the best cultural
services that the city has to offer. It also provides discounts for most of the
principal leisure activities, shops, restaurants etc and combines this with
discounts on all public services.
Amongst the benefits of the card include:
- Free access to the more than 40 main museums of Madrid
and its surroundings amongst which are the most important: The Prado Museum,
The Thyssen-Bornemisza museum, the Reina Sofia Art Museum, the Royal Palace,
Monasterio de San Lorenzo del Escorial, the National Archaeological Museum, the
Sorolla Museum and the National Science Museum, amongst many others.
- Free entry to the Nature Park Faunia and to the Imax
Cinema.
- Unlimited use of the bus, metro and local trains
within zone A and during the card's valid date.
- Unlimited use of the tourist bus Madrid Vision
- A guides tour of Madrid
which is conducted on Saturday mornings and is called ‘Madrid, the Court's playground'
There are also discounts to shops, restaurants, shows,
car hire, clubs and discothèques, leisure centres and other tourist services.
- The card is
on sale at the Municipal Tourist Office in the Plaza Mayor and in other tourist
information offices of Madrid Community such as in the Duque de Medinaceli and Atocha
station. It is also available in the kiosks of Madrid Visión which
is located next to the Prado
Museum. Apart from many
other places you can get the card it is available in some 3, 4 and 5 star
hotels in the city, in small estancos (places that sell magazines, stamps and
tobacco) and in national and international travel agencies as well as online
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