Madrid, as the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula, is a perfect start location to explore the diversity and centuries of history and culture. Whether traveling the roads of the south to Andalusia, the Strait of Gibraltar and Morocco, to the west, we find the land of the “conquistadores” in Extremadura and a little beyond, […]
Madrid is an ideal place to learn and explore by walking its city streets. In a small radius from the center of the city, you can see centuries of history, which the visitor decides imposing his pace and preferences. In this site, we suggest five free Photo Tours with pictures, allowing you to take a […]
Also known as “Anden 0”, and ghost station of Madrid Metro, this station was closed down in 1966, since it couldn’t be extended of adapted to the new length of 90 meters, they needed for the 6 wagon trains. Until then, these trains comprised 4 cars, which only needed platforms of 60 meters. Metro Line […]
The Lujanes house in the Plaza de la Villa, was the residence of one of the most ancient lineages of Madrid, although in reality the Luján family came from Aragon. They settled in this place, at that time, in the early fifteenth century, when it was called Plaza de San Salvador. This square was considered […]
In the Habsburgs area of medieval Madrid, we find the Plaza de la Cruz Verde (Green Cross Square), surrounded by stairs, and by the unevenness of Segovia St., which runs from the Plaza Puerta Cerrada, near the Plaza Mayor, to the Manzanares River. This square is located in a widening of Segovia St., near the […]
There is a well known legend by the residents of Madrid, which tells about a medieval mystery from the court of King Philip II, of beautiful young Elena, that according to rumors, received nightly visits from a person related to the court. Soon, Elena was married to a captain of the royal troops called Zapata, […]
It is widely used proverb to refer to Madrid, as a lively and charming city, where you can have a great time. The complete expression says: “From Madrid to Heaven, and once there, a hole to glimpse at it”. It is not known exactly where the saying came from, but we have found some versions […]
Where today is the Plaza de Santo Domingo in Madrid, way back in 1218, there was a Dominican convent, founded by Domingo de Guzman. This was demolished in the time of Joseph I Bonaparte, where they placed an outdoor flower market, in this same area. Joseph I, was known as “King Squares”, since he opened […]
The building of the Congress of Deputies, is guarded by two lions, of which are mentioned in an anecdote, when in late 1985 were taken down from their pedestals for them to be restored. Therefore, temporarily they were placed inside the building. Parliamentarians were surprised to see that one of them had missing its male […]
The crimson red flag as the banner of Castile, and that Madrid was part of the kingdom until 1833. The flag consists of seven white five-pointed stars and adopts it officially on December 23, 1983. There are different versions of why the seven stars. Some say that it represents the constellation Ursa Minor, while other […]
On April 28th, 1699 , at seven o’clock , Madrid exploded with a great popular protest due to food shortages, specially the lack of bread . While the authorities were distributing bread, the legend reveals that a woman that was indignantly protesting to one of the inspectors, asking “How can she feed her six children […]
The Bailen Street Viaduct, also called Viaduct of Segovia, is only about 100 meters from the Almudena Cathedral, and walking distance from the old part of town, as you can see on the background of the picture above. This structure, has replaced since 1930, the original construction made out of iron and wood, that started […]
The Hill of the Blind, today is a steep stairway that goes from Calle de Segovia, up to the viewpoint of Las Vistillas. It hides a beautiful legend that goes back to the thirteenth-century, and is characterized by Saint Francis of Assisi. The Legend has it that St. Francis, while heading for the Camino de […]
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