|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
About Madrid |
 |
 |
 |
| |
Madrid is a large modern city, with lovely parks, and a superb Royal
Palace. It has always been known how to be nice and freindly. It bustles
with laughter and joy. When you visit Madrid, you will find it difficult
to leave.
Through it's personality, Madrid into an unforgettable city, with
plenty for the tourist to do, in the way of nature, art, and history.
When you visit Madrid, you will be treated to sights of historic interest,
some of which have been officially included as places important to
world heritage. Like Ávila, Segovia, Toledo, as well as the
Monastery of El Escorial. All these lie within about 100 km. from
the square La Puerta del Sol.
.Madrid is a city full of life. During the day, the city is full of
energy but come evening the central city becomes a bustle of human
activity with it's nightlife.
|
|
|
|
|
Things to do in Madrid |
|
|
|
| |
Bullfighting
Bullfights in Madrid take place in the Las Ventas bullring during
March to October.The bullfight consists of 6 fifteen minute sections
known as faenas. In each faena a bull (toro) s faced by up to three
matadors. These are the ones who actually kill the bull.
Tours of Madrid (by reservation)
Walks Through Retiro Park
Tour around Tapas bars, taverns, sherry houses and restaurants
Tour of Old Madrid
Toledo - Ancient Capital of Spain
Aranjuez - The Royal Summer Retreat
El Escorial, the Monastery of San Lorenzo
Segovia: Aqueduct, Medieval Palaces and the Alcazar
Tour the Royal town of Manzanares El Real
San Isidro - Patron Saint of Madrid
www.wellsoc.org/
Live music
La Boca del Lobo -Huertas
Chesterfield Café -Moncloa
Davai - Gran Vía
Flamingo Malasaña
Casa Patas - Huertas
Café de Chinitas - Opera
Suristán - Huertas
Caracol - : Embajadores
Café del Mercado - El Rastro
Galileo Galilei - Moncloa
Berlín Cabaret - La Latina
El Sol - Sol
Moby Dick - Chamartín
La Riviera
Siroco - Malasaña
Maravillas - Malasaña
Honky Tonk - Alonso Martínez
Trilobyte
Café Central
Pza. del Angel - Huertas
Clamores - Bilbao
Café Populart- Huertas
Segundo Jazz - Nuevos Ministerios
Candela - Lavapies
La Soleá - La Latina
Football
Real Madrid
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
Concha Espina
Athlético Madrid
Estadio Vicente Calderón
Calle Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto, 67
|
|
|
|
|
Madrid Museums |
|
|
|
| |
Museo del Prado
This is one of the most important art museums in Europe and amongst
the best in the world
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
This museum exhibits artwork from the 13th century to the present
day.
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
See the works of great modern, Spanish artists such as Pablo Picasso
, Juan Gris, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, etc.
Casa Museo Lope de Vega
This is dedicated to the writer Lope de Vega, and is the house where
he lived from 1610 until his death..
Museo Lázaro Galdiano
This collection of art is one of the most important in Spain and comprises
works of decorative art and paintings of well known European artists.
Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativos
This museum contains ceramics, gems, and oriental art ect. Which was
used to decorate mansions, palaces and monuments over the years.
Museo Nacional de Reproducciones Artísticas
This museum holds a collection of sculptures and classical, mediaeval,
renaissance, baroque and neo-classic works.
Museo Panteón de Goya
Here you will find magnificent frescos by Goya.
Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de
San Fernando
Visit this museum to see a good collection of paintings by Spanish
artists, together with a large number of sculptures, drawings, silverware,
etchings, etc.
Museo Romántico
This museum contains works by the most important 19th century Spanish
artists, as well as including other decorative objects.
Museo Sorolla
The Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla lived here and it is where
the best of his works can be found.
|
|
|
|
|
Madrid Monuments |
|
|
|
| |
Catedral de Santa María la Real de la
Almudena
In 1879, Madrid's cathedral was built, in neo-gothic style and has
a romanesque crypt.
Cámara de Comercio e Industria
Built in 1734, this is the Chamber of Commerce was originally the
residence of the Duke and Duchess of Santoña which was restored
in 1876.
Cuartel del Conde Duque
Built around 1716 , this building has a splendid example of baroque
architecture Home, today to open-air concerts.
Ermita de la Virgen del Puerto
This little church, built in 1718, was one of the first works by Pedro
de Ribera.
Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida
Built in neo-classic style and in the shape of a greek cross with
dome around 1794 . Here , you can find some magnificent Goya frescos.
Fuente de Cibeles
This statue, the work of Ventura Rodríguez was originally placed
to one side of the square. It represents the Goddess of fertility,
earth and harvests on a lion-pulled chariot.
Palacio del Congreso de los Diputados
The Spanish Houses of Parliament were built in 1843 in the style of
a renaissance palace, to which the large neo-classic architecture
was added later.
Palacio de Linares
This mansion, built in 1872 currently houses the Casa de América.
Palacio Real
The Royal Palace was built in 1734 and contains furniture, tapestries,
paintings and ceramics as well as other important works of art and
frescos by Tiépolo.
Palacio de Telecommunicaciones
This splendid building currently houses the main Post Office in Madrid
and was built by Antonio Palacios at the beginning of the 20th century.
Real Academia Española de la Lengua
This neo Greek classic style building, built between 1891 and 1894,
houses the official Spanish Language Academy.
Sociedad General de Autores
This building is one of the best examples of modernist style in Madrid,
its façade decorated with floral motifs.
Teatro Real
Work began in 1818 The Royal Theatre and was completed in 1850. It
has had many renovations, one as recently as 1997.
|
|
|
|
|
Parks in Madrid |
|
|
|
| |
The Retiro Park
This is Madrid's best known park which occupies 120 hectares of land
in the very centre of Madrid.
The Casa de Campo
This is one of Europe's largest public parks. Its flora is represented
mainly by Mediterranean oaks, ash groves, copses and reafforrestation
areas; the fauna by a variety of birds and small mammals, rodents,
and insects.
Campo del Moro inc the Sabatini Gardens
These gardens belong to the Royal palace and were opened to the public
in 1978 by order of the King, Juan Carlos I.
Quinta & Parque de la Fuente de Berro
This park is around 1200 square metres of which have been used to
plant certain species of plants that are easily recognised by blind
people due to their touch and smell.
The Botanical Gardens (Jardín Botánico)
Situated next to the Prado Museum, these gardens were founded by Carlos
III in 1781 after sending out scientific expeditions all over the
world to help build up the collection of more than 30,000 species
of plants, including sveral varieties of tropical plants housed in
the hothouse.
Parque del Oeste
Parque del Oeste must be Madrid's best landscaped park, with it's
open grass spaces and copses. The bottom half of the park is the rose
garden where from nearby you can enjoy spectacular views of Madrid's
skyline by travelling on the cable car.
Parque de la Dehesa de la Villa
This pastureland is now a public park.
Parque Enrique Tierno Galvána
In the grounds of this park you can visit the Planetarium, an Auditorium
and the Imax 3-D cinema.
Monte de El Pardo
Situated just outside Madrid, in this park, you will find many Wild
animals.
|
|
|
|
|
History of Madrid |
|
|
|
| |
Madrid was made it the capital of Spain during the time of Don Quixote.
The origins of Madrid are Roman, and much more likely that it originated
as an Islamic garrison, with a fortress on the future site of Madrid
in 854. But only a stretch of city wall survives from this period.
The Muslim era of Madrid finished in 1085 The main power was under
a small number of local families, who managed to hold on to their
position when governors, appointed by the Spanish royalty, attempted
to take control in 1348.
It was Felipe II, who gave Madrid it's status, by appointing it the
permanent seat of the royal court in 1561.
In 1700, with a succession of reformist rulers saw Madrid finally
lose its reputation as Europe's filthiest city, although the treasuries
of Spain were due to their defeat by British in the Battle of Trafalgar
of 1805, the loss of its American colonies; Napoleon's occupation
of Spain; and the ensuing Peninsula War for independence by the people
of Madrid and left the city exhausted and facing starvation.
During the 19th-century, Madrid remained dominated by the landed aristocracy,
with the poorer classes still living in single-storey slum housing
and a full quarter of the working population employed as servants
in aristocratic households. In 1837, church property was expropriated
by the governmenta and it is estimated that some 1600 Church properties
were destroyed in Madrid in the first forty years of the 19th century
alone. Due to an injection of foreign capital, living conditions were
improved with the introduction of street paving, gas lighting, sewage
and garbage collection.
The twenty years of the 20th century saw improvements in Madrid such
as the electrification of the tramlines, the creation of the Gran
Vía and the inaugural metro line. Inward migration caused the
city's population to double from a 1900 figure of half a million to
almost one million by 1931, with chronic housing shortages.
After a coup was finally ended by Alfonso XIII in 1930 a second republic
was proclaimed, universal suffrage was introduced, he fled the country
and Madrid was officially recognised as the capital of the Spanish
state.
In 1936, for three years, Spain was in bloody civil war where Madrid
held the nationalists at bay until the surrender of March 1939, with
fighting heaviest in the north-west of the city.
Madrid's first free municipal elections were held in 1979, and power
has since been shuffled between left-wing and right-of-centre councils.
But recent years have seen the revival of artistic and cultural activity
in the city, the restoration of the old centre, and improved public
transport and public housing. Madrid's nightlife is perhaps not as
vibrant as it was in the celebratory late 1970s and 80s, but it remains
a remarkably lively, happening city.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
