For this walking tour, we will start at Cibeles and walk towards the east, to Puerta de Alcala, which is the main entrance to El Retiro Park. From this point, looking to the west, will be the next photo of Cibeles Plaza: We will start walking to the east, and 200 yards away we can […]
The Puerta de Alcala (Alcala Gate) is a monument in the Plaza de la Independencia (“Independence Square”), which is on the northwest part of El Retiro Park, on its main entrance. Francisco Sabatini created the monument in 1778 for king Carlos III. Madrid on the 18th Century still remained surrounded by medieval walls, so king […]
The monument to King Alfonso XII, is a sculpture located at the east side of the pond, near the center of the Retiro Park. The monument, funded by public subscription, was inaugurated on June 6, 1922. It is composed of a large colonnade with large number of sculptures that surround the equestrian statue of the […]
The Crystal Palace, has in front an artificial lake, where you can find bald cypress trees (Taxodium distichum), with their main characteristic, that part of the trunk, and roots are under water. The building is surrounded by Buckeyes or Spanish Chestnut trees. The palace has suffered great damage over time, due to the wars, but […]
Retiro Park has many beautiful sculptures and fountains, and this one called La Alcachofa (artichoke) was designed by Ventura Rodríguez and decorated with sculptures by Alfonso Giraldo Bergaz, and Antonio Primo. It was built in 1781 and located close to Puerta de Atocha. It was transferred in 1880 to its present location in the southwest […]
French style garden, that has just a few variations from the original eighteenth century garden, created by Felipe V, on the old garden, built by Felipe IV. It is rectangular with semicircular head, and a central corridor, remembering the floor plan design of a Gothic cathedral.
This is the back (at the east), of the Prado Museum. It is the newly built part (2007), with the back of the original building at your left, and the new Moneo Cube or Los Jerónimos building, to the right of the church with the same name. A better view of the Moneo Cube: The […]
The Prado Museum in Madrid, is one of the largest, and most visited in the world. It has uniquely valuable paintings by the European masters from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, with a large presence of Velázquez, El Greco, Goya, Titian, Rubens and Bosch. We must also highlight other important artists like Murillo, Ribera, […]
The Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, is a research center of the National Research Council. Founded on October 17, 1755 by King Fernando VI near the River Manzanares. It was Carlos III who ordered to move it to its current location on the Paseo del Prado in 1781. This botanical garden is arranged in three […]
Brief History: Neoclassical marble sculpture, from the second half of XVIII, was part of the idea of King Carlos III to modernize the city of Madrid. This modernization plan included the placement of emblematic monuments. Today: It’s the meeting point of the Atlético de Madrid football team, when they win important games and titles. Location: […]
Paseo del Prado, is the prolongation of La Castellana, which runs North – South, from Plaza de Cibeles to Atocha, and where the Golden Triangle of Art, with its three most important museums are located: El Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía. This densely tree-lined garden in the middle of the boulevard, is an important attraction […]
Just outside one of the gates of El Retiro Park, we get this building, right in front of us. El Casón del Buen Retiro, is one the two buildings that survived the destruction of the Buen Retiro Palace. Built in 1637 by Alonso Carbonell, it was initially designed as a ballroom space for the Court […]
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