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May 9, 2018: The Parks of Madrid |
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May 7, 2018: Madrid Arrival |
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Return to the Index for Our Visit to Madrid |
We are going to meet Greg this morning and the three of us are going to wander around the area of Madrid where most of the tourist sites can be found. John and John will be off visiting friends that they knew when they lived here for a time years ago. We will return to Atocha Station in the early afternoon, as Greg, John, and John have to catch an early evening train back to Barcelona where they will stay this evening and get on their third cruise tomorrow.
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After seeing the Plaza Mayor itself, we will continue west along the Calle Mayor to the Calle Bailen- the major avenue that runs north and south alongside the Royal Palace compound and the Cathedral de la Almudena. We'll see the church first, walking alongside it and then visiting the broad plaza in front of it to see the facade. Then, all we'll have to do is pivot and look north at the Spanish Royal Palace.
Next, we'll get introduced to the Madrid Metro as we walk over past the Royal Theatre, where we will look to find a place for some lunch, to the Opera Metro Station. We'll take the Metro south to the Embajadores Station, which is right near our condo- stopping at the condo so Greg can have a look.
Then we will walk again back towards the Fountain of Neptune, sampling some of the side streets and neighborhoods of the area of Madrid between the condo and the Fountain. Finally, we will walk back down Paseo del Prado towards Greg's hotel, parting with him at one of the entrances to the Parque de el Retiro.
With Greg headed back to Barcelona, Fred and I plan to see as much of Madrid's largest park as we can; as it turned out, we spent the rest of the day and into the early evening in the park, which was pretty amazing.
I've marked our general route and major stops on a map of this part of Madrid; that map is at left. We are going to try to see quite a bit, so we had best be off.
The Walk from Atocha Station to Plaza Mayor
We began our walk by collecting Greg outside his hotel by the train station, and then we walked north along Paseo del Prado towards the Fountain of Neptune.
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The very first part of our morning involved Fred and I walking up Ronda de Atocha towards and around the train station to get to Greg's hotel to meet up with him.
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This art installation has seen 80 sculptures of Las Meninas ("the ladies in waiting") placed in iconic spots around the Spanish capital, from the bustling Puerta del Sol to the Plaza Mayor to the National Museum. The art installation, dubbed "Meninas Madrid Gallery", is the brainchild of Spanish sculptor Antonio Azzato, who designed the sculpture and recruited a group of artists, fashion designers and singers to help decorate the Meninas, which he delivered to them white- like a blank canvas. Each artist applied their technique, so each Menina is a unique, one-off artwork.
The 1656 painting by Diego Velázquez, one of the Spanish Golden Age’s leading artists, who worked in the court of Philip IV, is one of the star attractions of Madrid’s Prado Museum; depicts the young princess Margarita Teresa surrounded by several members of the court, including her ladies in waiting, dwarves and, in the background, Velázquez himself. The painting has been classed as one of the most important in Western art history and has long divided critics with its enigmatic symbolism and references.
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We crossed the street towards the railway station, so we would walk around the north side of it to Greg's hotel. In the bright sunlight, we had an excellent view of the Ronda de Atocha- the traffic circle at the intersection of six different streets located just north of the Puerta de Atocha station- as well as a good view of the fountain in its center. Fred was also able to get a closeup view of the griffin atop the station facade, as well as the group of sculptures by Agustí Querol Subirats entitled "La Gloria y los Pegasos" placed atop that building's facade.
We continued around the station and crossed the street to the north and then crossed this typical downtown Madrid avenue to Greg's hotel where he was waiting for us. Then we turned around and headed back north along the east side of Paseo del Prado. This brought us right past the beautiful facade of the Palacio de Fomento- now Spain's Agriculture Ministry.
Just past the Ronda, Fred and I could see a broad walkway off to our right; this led along the south side of the Botanical Garden towards the Parque Retiro, a place we wanted to visit either today or tomorrow. Right at the southwest corner of the Botanical Garden, Greg and I stopped to check the map before the three of us continued up the street along the west side of the Botanical Garden. I thought Fred might want to go in, but he thought it better not to take up our time seeing Madrid by doing that just yet. But we did get a couple of nice views of the garden as we walked past it:
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The Paseo del Prado was a beautiful street, with three lanes of traffic in each direction and a very wide median in the center. That median had fountains every so often, and you can see one in the picture you just saw. (You an also see Fred's closeup of that fountain here.) There were also a couple of fountains along our side of the street by the garden, and one of them seemed a good backdrop for a picture of Fred and Greg. Presently, we came along past the statue of Murillo (the painter) to the front of the Prado Museum.
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The building was designed in 1785 by Juan de Villanueva on the orders of Charles III, although it was the monarch's grandson, Ferdinand VII, who decided to use it as a new Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures. The Royal Museum, whose name would soon become known as the Museo Nacional del Prado, opened in 1819. It was created both to show the art belonging to the Spanish Crown and to demonstrate that Spanish art was equal to any in Europe. In addition to this picture of the facade, here are some other pictures we took of the street side of the main wing:
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El Prado is one of the top 25 most visited museums in the world (within the top 10 art museums), and is considered one of the greatest art museums anywhere. Highlights of the collection include the numerous works by Francisco Goya, the single most extensively represented artist, as well as by Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, and Diego Velázquez. Prominently displayed in front of the main wing is the famous Velasquez statue, and at the north end of the main wing, by the entry plaza, were some of the largest cryptomeria trees that I have seen in a long, long time. The Velasquez painting, Las Meninas, is the best known work in the museum and, appropriately, we came across our second Menina right outside of the museum.
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The sculpture was executed in white marble, and the work was completed in 1784. Neptune holds his familiar trident in one hand, and a coiled snake in the other. Originally situated between the Prado de San Jerónimo and el Paseo de Trajineros, a bit north of here, the Neptune Fountain was moved to its current position in 1898.
Today, the Palace and Ritz Hotels are situated close by the Fountain of Neptuno. As we crossed the avenue, we could see, on the other side of the street, the main store of the large Toledano Art Objects firm- Madrid's largest emporiums featuring Spanish art and culture, from Medieval times to the present.
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The store had lots of interesting items in its windows, and we waited while Greg went in to look around. While we were waiting, we took a few pictures of the window displays so that you can have a look as well:
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When Greg came out, we headed around the corner past the Ritz Hotel (here are Fred and Greg in front of the hotel) and we turned the corner to head west on the Carrera de San Jerónimo- a street here in the center of Madrid that runs between the Puerta del Sol and the Plaza de las Cortes at the Paseo del Prado. The Puerta del Sol is our objective, as the entrance to Plaza Mayor is nearby.
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And photograph them we did. And not just the buildings, but many odd or interesting things we passed along the way. I know you wouldn't want to look at a hundred views of this part of Madrid, but perhaps 30-odd are manageable. These "best views" are in the slideshow at left. As with all of this album's slideshows, use the little arrows in the lower corners of each slide to go from one to the next, and track your progress through the picture selection by referring to the index numbers in the upper left.
It was a beautiful day here in Madrid, which was another reason why the walk was so pleasant. The pictures in the show are pretty much in the order we took them on our way to Puerta del Sol (the last few pictures in the show); I hope you enjoy walking along with us.
The Puerta del Sol (Spanish for "Gate of the Sun") is the largest public square in Madrid, one of the best known and busiest places in the city. This is the center of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year. The New Year's celebration has been broadcast live on national television since 1962. Here is a panoramic view:
From here, we walked another block or so to find one of the entrances to Plaza Mayor off to our left.
Plaza Mayor
From the Puerta del Sol, we walked another block or so west until we saw, down a side street to our left, an entrance to the Plaza Mayor. So we headed up that short street to the archway at its top, going through it and finding ourselves in the northeast corner of the Plaza Mayor.
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The origins of the Plaza go back to 1577 when Philip II asked Juan de Herrera, a renowned Classical architect, to discuss a plan to remodel the busy and chaotic area of the old Plaza del Arrabal that occupied much of the current site of the Plaza Mayor. Juan de Herrera was the artist who designed the first project in 1560 to remodel the old plaza but construction did not start until 1617, during Philip III's reign.
The king asked Juan Gómez de Mora to continue with the project, and he finished the porticoes in 1619. Nevertheless, the Plaza Mayor as we know it today is the work of the architect Juan de Villanueva who was given the glorious, albeit difficult task of its reconstruction in 1790 after a series of enormous fires. Giambologna's equestrian statue of Philip III dates to 1616, but it was not placed in the center of the square until 1848.
Here are a number of views of the buildings surrounding this rectangular space:
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The name of the plaza has changed over time; the old plaza was the "Plaza del Arrabal" but after it was renovated it became known as the "Plaza Mayor". In 1812, all the major plazas of Spain were renamed "Plaza de la Constitución", in honor of the Constitution of 1812. The plaza had this name until the restoration of the Borbón king in 1814 when it became known as the "Plaza Real". The name of the plaza alternated between "Real" and "Constitución" until 1873, when "Plaza de la República" entered the mix for a while. Finally, at the end the Spanish Civil War when the plaza was renamed the "Plaza Mayor", the name it bears to date.
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The Casa de la Panadería was actually built when the plaza was constructed; Juan Gómez de Mora completed it in 1619. After the plaza burned in 1672, it was rebuilt in seventeen months by Tomás Román, who commissioned painters Claudio Coello and José Jiménez Donoso to decorate the interior and create frescoes on the facade. The plaza burned again in 1790, but the Panaderia survived and became the reference for Juan de Villanueva's reconstruction of the rest of the plaza.
La Casa de la Panadería has been remodeled numerous times, and in 1988, the Madrid City Council convened a public contest to undertake the re-decorating of the facade, as the original frescoes had deteriorated. Carlos Franco won with designs based on mythological figures such as Cybele, Proserpine, Bacchus, and Cupid, as well as others invented by the artist, interwoven into the history of Madrid and the Plaza Mayor. The work to paint Carlos Franco's frescoes was carried out in 1992. Here are some good closeups of this decoration:
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In the beginning, the building's lower levels housed Madrid's main bakery of the town. Between 1745 and 1774, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts kept its headquarters there, as did the Royal Academy of History from 1774 to 1871. At the end of the 19th century, the Madrid City Council took charge of the building, converting it into a second "city hall". Later on, it became the headquarters of the Municipal Library and Municipal Archives; currently is is occupied by the Madrid Tourist Board and the ground floor houses the Madrid Tourism Center. Here are two more views of this beautiful structure:
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The Plaza Mayor is used for all kinds of civic and cultural functions, and I've read that they always seem to be setting something up or tearing something down, so pristine pictures of the Plaza are hard to come by. You can see that's what's going on in many of our own pictures.
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Before we leave the Plaza Mayor, here's a panoramic view. You'll note that when you do a 360° view from one end of an area, the distortion is noticeable, but I couldn't do it from the center as they were setting up something. Anyway, the view is certainly interesting:
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Now we headed further west to leave the plaza through an archway at the northwest corner to continue our walk to the Spanish Royal Palace.
Walking from Plaza Mayor to the Royal Palace
To get over to the Royal Palace, we basically followed the Calle Mayor, and on the way stopped at a couple of interesting sites (and saw some more beautiful Spanish architecture).
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The Market of San Miguel is a covered market near the Plaza Mayor. Originally built in 1916, it was purchased by private investors in 2003 who renovated the iron structure and reopened it in 2009.
San Miguel Market is the most popular market in Madrid among tourists since it is located in the center of Madrid, within walking distance from Plaza Mayor. The market is not a traditional grocery market but a gourmet tapas market, with over 30 different vendors selling a wide variety of freshly prepared tapas, hams, olives, baked goods and other foods. Beer, wine and champagne are also available. We did not go into the market, thinking that it would be much like those we've been in in Barcelona.
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We came out of the Plaza Mayor at its northwest corner, walked through a small street where we found the statue of an upside-down angel (at least that's what I think it is, having been unsuccessful in locating any information about it) and then walked past the Mercado de San Miguel.
From there we walked up to Calle Mayor and continued west; here are some scenes from along Calle Mayor:
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A little ways west along Calle Mayor we stopped first at a square called Plaza de la Ville. The Plaza de la Villa (formerly San Salvador Square ) is made up of a small square bounded by three small streets, corresponding to the primitive medieval layout of the city: El Codo appears on the east, the Cordon on the south and Madrid on the west.
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Around the square are the main facades of three buildings of great historical and artistic value, built in different centuries. The oldest is the 15th-century House and Tower of Lujanes, built in Gothic-Mudejar style, which is located on the eastern side of the square. I neglected to step back from this structure to take a picture, for I did not know the significance of it when we came into the square. I do have one picture that Fred took of Greg and I with the Tower of Lujanes entrance in the background.
The next oldest building on the square is the Casa de Cisneros, built in the 16th century. It is a plateresque-style palace built on the southern side of the square in 1537 for Benito Jimenez de Cisneros. Today's facade was built around 1910, when the Madrid City Council acquired the ownership of the palace. The facade facing Sacramento Street, which initially was the main one, has the most historical-artistic significance, as it has been only slightly modified over the centuries.
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The so-called Casa de la Villa occupies the former site of the houses of the Marquis of Vallecerrato and D. Juan de Acuña; it was acquired by the Madrid council in 1615 as a meeting place, replacing the now disappeared Church of the Savior. After a 70-year renovation project, it was inaugurated in 1692.
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In 1888, on the occasion of the third centenary of the death of the sailor Don Álvaro de Bazán (1526-1588), the Madrid City Council decided to erect a monument to him in the center of the square, but the finished work was not inaugurated until December 19, 1891.
The bronze statue is the work of the sculptor Mariano Benlliure, installed on a pedestal created by the architect Miguel Aguado; on the back face was a verse by the poet Lope de Vega dedicated to Bazán:
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At this point, we went back out to Calle Mayor and continued west towards the Royal Palace compound. On the way, we walked by one of the largest carved wooden doors we'd seen in a long time, and Fred asked for a picture. You might recall that on previous vacations and cruises he's accumulated quite a collection of photographs of doors of all kinds from all around the world. We also passed a number of beautiful buildings, including one with unique corner sunrooms. After a few blocks, we came to the Iglesia de Sacramento.
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Founded in 1615 by Cristóbal de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Uceda and confidant to the King, it was originally the temple of the old monastery of the Bernarda nuns of Madrid. The building was designed in the form of a Latin cross by the architect Juan Gómez de Mora in 1615, but construction did not begin until 1671, half a century after the convent was founded, due to the Duke's fall from grace as the King's adviser. The building was finished in 1744.
The church is currently the only thing left of the monastery of Bernardas, because the convent building was demolished in 1972. It is considered one of the best works of the religious baroque style here in Madrid; despite the damage it has suffered over time (the most severe damage occurred during the Spanish Civil War), it preserves its structure and decoration practically intact. We didn't go inside, but there are some prominent artworks on display in the nave, as well as a moderately-famous Rococo-style altarpiece.
Before we reach the end of Calle Mayor and head north to the Royal Palace, here are some of the city scenes and building decoration that we thought worth recording:
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At the intersection of Calle Mayor and Calle de Bailen, we found two sites that we wanted to explore- the Cathedral of Santa Maria and the Spanish Royal Palace (north of it).
The Almudena Cathedral
Right at the corner of Calle Mayor and Calle de Bailen began the grounds of the Almudena Cathedral. The Almudena Cathedral (Santa María la Real de La Almudena) is the Catholic church that is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993.
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When the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the seat of the Church in Spain remained in Toledo and the new capital had no cathedral. Plans to build a cathedral in Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena were discussed as early as the 16th century but even though Spain built more than 40 cities in the new world during that century and plenty of cathedrals, the cost of expanding and keeping the Empire came first and the construction of Madrid's cathedral was postponed.
The Spanish Court was also toying with the idea of making Madrid's new cathedral the largest that the world had ever seen, but, naturally, the size of such an undertaking was one of the reasons that the project was delayed. But as Madrid grew in importance, so too did the urge to build it a cathedral worthy of its size and importance- particularly when all the other main Spanish cities had centuries old cathedrals of their own. Madrid also had old churches, but none were on the scale of a grand cathedral, so as the city grew the importance of the project grew as well. Finally, the empire stabilized and the construction of the Cathedral Almudena began in 1879.
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In that year, Cubas' plans were adapted to create a baroque exterior to match the grey and white façade of the Palacio Real (Royal Palace), which stands directly opposite the church across Armory Plaza. The cathedral was actually not completed until 1993, making it, of all the cathedrals we have visited around the world, by far the youngest.
The cathedral was consecrated that same year by Pope John Paul II. In 2004, the cathedral saw its only royal wedding so far, when King Felipe VI, then crown prince, married Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano in the cathedral.
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Walking along Calle de Bailen and passing the side of the cathedral gave us a good look back at the south end of the cathedral at the small garden plaza at the intersection. The Segovia Viaduct, one of Madrid's oldest bridges, is just out of the picture to the left; we'll get a view of it tomorrow.
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We didn't go inside the cathedral, preferring to do more walking around Madrid, so we passed by the cathedral's side entrance. The Neo-Gothic interior is uniquely modern, with chapels and statues of contemporary artists, in heretogeneous styles, from historical revivals to "pop-art" decor. The Neo-Romanesque crypt houses a 16th-century image of the Virgen de la Almudena.
We spent most of our time looking at the cathedral from Armory Plaza in front of it; that's where we thought the view was most impressive. Here are some additional views of the facade and some of the carved decoration on it:
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Standing in Armory Plaza, all we had to do to see the next item on our walking tour was to turn around and look north.
The Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, but it is only used for state ceremonies. The palace has 1.5 million square feet of floor space and contains 3,400 rooms, making it the largest royal palace in Europe by floor area. (The King and the Royal Family have actually chosen instead to reside in a more modest palace on the outskirts of Madrid.
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The palace is owned by the Spanish State and administered by a public agency. Like the White House and other Presidential or Royal residences, the building is open for tours (although only a few of the many rooms can be visited). We thought we might go inside, but today was not one of the "free" days, admission was $15, and there was a long line of people waiting to get in. So we contented ourselves with admiring the huge structure from outside its gates onto Armory Plaza.
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The palace is located on the site of a 9th-century Alcázar (Muslim-era fortress) that was constructed as an outpost by Muhammad I of Córdoba. After Madrid fell to King Alfonso VI of Castile in 1083, the edifice was only rarely used by the kings of Castile. In 1329, King Alfonso XI of Castile convened the cortes of Madrid for the first time, and, 200 years later, King Felipe II moved his court to Madrid.
After the old Alcázar burned in 1734, King Felipe V ordered a new palace built on the same site. Construction spanned the years 1738 to 1755, and King Carlos III first occupied the new palace in 1764. The last monarch who lived continuously in the palace was King Alfonso XIII, although Manuel Azaña, president of the Second Republic, also inhabited it, making him the last head of state to do so. During that period the palace was known as "Palacio Nacional".
Here are some additional views of the Royal Palace, as well as a beautiful view of the mountains northwest of Madrid;
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The interior of the palace is notable for its wealth of art and the use of many types of fine materials in the construction and the decoration of its rooms. There are paintings by artists such as Caravaggio, Francisco de Goya, and Velázquez, and frescoes by Tiepolo. Other collections of great historical and artistic importance preserved in the building include the Royal Armory of Madrid, porcelain, watches, furniture, silverware, and the world's only complete Stradivarius string quintet.
Before we head off to have some lunch, I have two more panoramic views of the palace. The first was constructed from three images that I took by sticking my camera through the wrought iron fence separating the Armory Plaza from the palace itself:
The second is a view I let the camera create; I stood near the northwest corner of the cathedral and panned across the area ending with a look down the facade of the church towards Calle de Bailen. I have put that image in the scrollable window below:
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Now we decided to cross Calle de Bailen and head east towards the nearest Metro station to take the train back to the condo for a bit.
Lunch and Walk to Atocha
Leaving the Cathedral and Palace, we decided to head towards the Opera Metro stop, have some lunch, and then take the Metro back by the condo so Greg could have a look at it. Then we'd take a circuitous route back towards the Toledano Art store so Greg could make a purchase and finally get him back to his hotel in plenty of time to meet back up with John and John so they could take the train back to Barcelona.
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We also passed through the Plaza de Ramales, an urban square created between 1810 and 1811. It was originally called San Juan Square for a 12th-century church that stands nearby (and the location of the tomb of Diego Velázquez) and was one of Madrid's first urban squares. In 1841 it took the name of Ramales in memory of the battle of Ramales, fought in 1839 as part of Spain's first civil war.
The square is flanked by two palatial residences; one of them, the House-palace of Ricardo Augustín (shown in the center of the photograph Fred took) was begun in 1920 and completed two years later. It stands out for its upper tower, with medieval airs, and for its mural paintings, which decorate the exteriors of the highest floors.
We enjoyed looking up and down the charming side streets as we made our way towards the Opera Metro station by the Teatro Real. We came along the south side of the square in front of it and found a little cafe to have some lunch.
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The Teatro Real (Royal Theatre) is a major opera house. Founded in 1818 and inaugurated in 1850, it closed in 1925 but was rebuilt and reopened in 1997 with a capacity of about 1750. Today, the Teatro Real opera is one of the great theaters of Europe and its seasons feature many leading figures of the international singing, musical direction, stage direction and dance.
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The damage to the building caused by the construction of the Madrid Metro forced its closure in 1925, but the government always contemplated the possibility of restoring it. Financial and design difficulties kept this from happening until after World War II, when the building finally reopened in 1966 as a concert hall (which hostedd the 14th Eurovision Song Contest in 1969).
In the 1990s, the house was remodeled to host opera again. The building was completed in late 1995 and the theater reopened in 1997. Oddly, the remodeling was based on the old classical style of opera house with only basic modernization leaving many seats without a view of the stage. To get around this problem, a live stream of operas and ballets is projected on the upper side walls of the house so that the entire audience can follow the performance regardless of their view of the stage.
After lunch, we went down to the Metro platform and Greg helped us learn the ticket machines (which we would use a number of times tomorrow) and we rode one of the Metro lines (Madrid has a pretty extensive Metro system) down to the Embajadores station two blocks from Calle de Amparo and the condo. We walked to the condo and relaxed there for thirty minutes, giving Greg a tour of it. Then we were off again, this time walking generally northeast to the Toledano Art store back at the Fountain of Neptune.
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Back at the art store right by the Fountain of Neptune, we waited outside the store while Greg went in to have a look around. Greg wasn't long, but we did have time to take some pictures looking around- such as this one of the two of us with the Paseo del Prado stretching southward in the background. We also had a view across the avenue and one of the monuments in the median over towards the Prado Museum. We also thought we would take some additional photos of the figures that the store seems to have placed in the second story windows; here are some of them:
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Heading down the Paseo del Prado towards Atocha, we passed a typical small square with one of Madrid's ubiquitous cafes, and we also passed what I assume to be the Health Department. I had to look up what a purple ribbon means; it typically represents pancreatic cancer and epilepsy. But it is also a symbol for Alzheimer's disease, lupus, Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, and fibromyalgia. A busy little color, it also stands for sarcoidosis awareness, and calls attention to both thyroid cancer and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Oh, and it also stands for religious tolerance. (Oops, I almost forgot- animal abuse is in the list, too.)
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A short ways down the street, as we were walking south, we came to an open area that looked as if there was a row of trees sticking out onto the sidewalk, but when we came by them and turned around to look, the sight was simply amazing.
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In a city warmed by constant sun in the summer, locals are constantly looking for a way for temporary relief from the blistering sun. Blanc’s gorgeous green wall does just that, beckoning visitors to stop for a respite after a few hours at the Prado Museum just down the street.
The greenery covers the entirety of the wall located on the square in front of the rusted steel CaixaForum, a lace-like renovation of a former power house. Located in the heart of Madrid’s cultural district with museums around every corner, the vertical garden resembles a piece of environmental graffiti as much as it does a botanical piece. The pattern of colors is a fascinating combination of art, architecture and botany.
Splotches of greens, reds and yellows grow in tufts over the wall, in a mass of flowering plants, ivy and climbing shrubbery. The self-irrigating wall is kept green with drips of water that feed the plants and cast a cooling mist to visitors sitting around the reflecting pool below. Blanc’s wall has a variety of plants, instead of the usual ferns and mosses, which were carefully chosen to flourish in the hot Madrid climate. Over 250 species are represented on the living wall in a mass of over 15,000 plants for the miniature oasis.
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One can feel the drastic cooling effect of the wall when sitting next to it, with the temperature feeling several degrees cooler in its proximity. Blanc’s wall shows that green walls can grow in even the hottest and driest climates, and provide not just a lush landscape, but also relief from the heat.
After a few minutes, we reached the plaza north of Atocha Station and we crossed the street to head back towards Greg's hotel. We said goodbye to Greg at the broad walkway at the south end of the Botanical Garden- the walkway that would lead us to the Parque de El Retiro.
Parque del Buen Retiro
The Buen Retiro Park (literally "Park of the Pleasant Retreat", or simply "El Retiro") is the third largest park in Madrid. The park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century, when it became a public park. The park covers 350 acres right at the edge of the city center. It is a magnificent park, filled with beautiful sculptures and monuments, galleries, and a peaceful lake. Entirely surrounded by the present-day city, it is one of Madrid's premier attractions.
Entering the Park
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It looked as if along this walkway there are a number of bookstalls; the small buildings lining the Botanical Garden side of the walkway were all selling books, and many of them had set up book tables out in the walkway. So this must be the place downtown to come for used books.
Earlier today, we'd had a chance to see the beautiful facade of the old Palacio de Fomento (now the Agriculture Ministry of Spain) that faces the Atocha Station; this walkway went alongside the north end of the building, and we could now see the architectural detail and decoration clearly.
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Although it's over 125 years old, the building and grounds have been very well kept-up, and the ornate structure and even the surrounding fence were quite handsome. Here are some views of the building and fence taken from its north side along the walkway:
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We got to the top of the walkway (it was sloping generally up) at Calle de Alfonso XII; at that corner there was a back tower gate to the Palacio de Fomento and, across the Calle Velasco was an interesting commercial building. Madrid seems to have lots of intersections where at least one of the blocks is very triangular in shape (coming to a point at the intersection). This particular intersection, where Calle Velasco meets Calle Alfonso (which has, temporarily, gone under the walkway/street we were on), is one such. I think these pointed buildings are kind of neat, and I think it would be nice to have a residence or an office that has 270° views.
At this point we went to the north side of our walkway to where the crosswalk over Calle Alfonso to Parque Retiro was located, and we passed a monument to Pío Baroja y Nessi (1872 – 1956)- a Spanish writer and novelist from an illustrious family. I've not read translations of any of his works, but I understand that they were uniformly dark and pessimistic.
This brought us to the Angel Caido gate (the southwestern gate) to Parque Retiro. Across the park road on our right we came across the Royal Observatory with its pleasant little garden, while ahead of us and to our left we got our first look at Parque Retiro (and some pretty amazing flowers).
An Overview of Parque Retiro
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We mainly saw the western half of the park, entering at the southwest corner and exiting at the Puerta de Alcala at the northwest corner of the huge park. I want to break up our visit into three main sections. The first took us through the southwest corner of the park and up to the Monument to Alfonso XII. That monument deserves a section of its own. The third section will take us from the east side of that monument and back around to the northwest exit from the park. The fourth section will be our walk back south along Calle de Alfonso XII and back to our starting point, and will include ducking back into the park at two or three gates along that street.
I haven't bothered marking those sections on the aerial view at right; I think there are enough labels on the aerial view that you can see where these areas are. But, before we get started, let's take a quick look at the history of this huge urban park.
In 1505, a royal retreat was built northeast of the current Prado Museum, west of Calle Alfonso, and in 1561 King Philip II moved the Spanish court to Madrid, enlarging the Retiro with formal, tree-lined avenues. The gardens were extended in the 1620s, and in the 1630s, several buildings were constructed in the retreat. Two of these, the "Casón del Buen Retiro" (ballroom) and the "Salón de Reinos" (Hall of Kingdoms), are still standing.
The park we see today was begun by 1640, and many of today's features planned. One was the great pond, Estanque del Retiro, which served as the setting for mock naval battles and other aquatic displays. Others included a canal, a bellflower pond, some chapels a numerous small gardens. Buen Retiro was described as "The world art wonder of the time", probably the last great creation of the Renaissance in Spain, and it became the center of Habsburg court life at a time when Spain was the foremost power in the world.
The gardens were neglected after the death of Philip IV in 1665, but have been restored and changed on many occasions, notably after being opened to the public in 1767 and becoming the property of the municipality in 1868. Philip V (1700–1746) created a French-style parterre, Charles III (1759–1788) saw to the beautification of its perimeter, replacing the old walls with elegant wrought-iron railings, and Juan de Villanueva's Astronomical Observatory was built during the reign of Charles IV (1788–1808).
The Retiro prospered under Queen Isabella II, until she was deposed in 1868 and the gardens passed to public ownership. Her son, Alfonso XII was eventally installed as king, and the gardens continued to receive his patronage. El Retiro gradually became the green heart of the city. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Monument to Alfonso XII of Spain was erected next to the pond, designed by architect José Grases Riera. Countless statues, fountains and commemorative monuments have filled the park and converted it into an open-air sculpture museum. Many new gardens, including the Rose Garden at the southern end of the Retiro, were created in the 1930s and 1940s. El Retiro has always seemed to "float above" the political and social turmoil that afflicted Spain until the end of World War II.
Park Entry to Alfonso XII Monument
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The Paseo Fernan Nunez is the park road that leads from the entry we came in all the way across the south end of the park, but we angled off to the north so we could follow some of the park walkways and get away from the beaten path. Pretty quickly, we found a green shady overlook that turned out to be a great place just to sit and relax for a little while.
We followed some other pathways as well, and occasionally we came by small gardens where spring flowers were sometimes still blooming.
While El Retiro does have some formal gardens, the vast majority of the space is given over to grass and trees and the meandering pathways that wind through those areas. Just down from our overlook, we came to one of the two or three artificial streams that have been installed in the park. I took a picture or two and a made a movie; the movie ends at the sports complex where we found a soccer game in progress.
El Retiro |
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From the soccer field, we walked back over to Calle Nunez; when we came back out on road we were at sort of a playground that had an old water wheel next to it. There wasn't anything I could find to tell me if the wheel was used at one time, or was just a sculpture of some sort, but the brickwork led me to believe that it was indeed in use at some point. Nearby we found the Fountain of the Fallen Angel.
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The state acquired the work and presented it to the 1878 Exposition Universelle. Since only works in marble and bronze were accepted, the statue was cast in bronze on this occasion and the plaster original destroyed. The statue returned to Spain in what was then the Museo Nacional de Pintura y Escultura (also known as the Museo de la Trinidad, now part of the Prado Museum). The director of the museum proposed its relocation in an open space so that the public could freely enjoy this peculiar and unusual creation.
The statue was passed to the City of Madrid and it was placed on a pedestal at its current location. (That location was formerly occupied by the Bue Retiro Porcelain Factory, before its destruction during the French invasion in 1813, at the intersection of the Paseo de Cuba, the Paseo de Uruguay, and the Paseo del Duque de Fernán Nuñez in the Retiro park. The Duque de Fernán Nuñez sponsored the monument.
The architect Francisco Jareño was charged to design the pedestal, that is octagonal with figures of devils on each side gripping fishes, lizards and snakes, and the entire affair was placed at the center of a 30-foot-diameter fountain (which itself was surrounded by a parterre). The inauguration was made by the Queen consort of Spain Maria Christina of Austria in 1885. The monument is 21 feet high (the statue itself is about nine feet high) and sits at the center of a roundabout named after the statue. The gate through which we entered the park uses that name as well.
While the work, created by a student, initially received its share of criticism, but the critics came around and it is now one of the main sculptural attractions here in Madrid. It is renowned for its dramatic appeal, the tension in its expression and its ambiguity in treating a polemical subject that caused turmoil regarding its possible interpretation as a satanic tribute. It has the reputation of being the only prominent sculpture in Spain dedicated to the devil. It is, however, correct that it happens to stand at 666 meters above sea level (so I guess non-metric countries wouldn't get the symbolism).
Nearby, we noticed a little cafe selling ice cream, and thought we might stop in. Our decision was made when a shower came along and we noted that the cafe had covered outside seating. The shower didn't last long, and the ice cream was quite good. The we headed almost directly north along the Paseo de Cuba, as another shower came along. But we enjoyed walking along the tree-covered garden pathway for about a third of a mile to its intersection with Paraguay, Nicaragua, and Venezuela- right at the southwest corner of the Big Pond (Estanque de Retiro)- called "the square of the Republic of Honduras". Here, we found the Artichoke Fountain.
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In the beginning, it was installed in front of the Puerta de Atocha (which no longer exists), but in 1847 it was moved to El Retiro and its present location. (There is now a replica in bronze in the middle of the circle by the Atocha station.)
Rodriguez's design was clearly baroque, although neoclassicism was in vogue when it was created, with its marine gods, vegetable ornaments and water effects engraved on the stone. This style is also present in other of his works, such as "El Conchas" which is installed next to the Royal Palace of Madrid.
The Fountain of the Artichoke (often referred to as the Fountain of Triton and Nereida), is raised on a circular pylon about 14 feet high, with vegetal ornamentation, in whose center rises a profusely adorned column formed by the two bodies. The first of them appears flanked by a triton and a nereida (marine nymph with the body of a woman and a fish tail), which hold the coat of arms of Madrid. On the other side there is a carved mask on the trunk representing Autumn- the face of an old man with a wreath of garlands. Above, the second body rests on a pedestal with a group of four cuplets or "putti" that surround the column and protect themselves from the water under the small upper cup, shaped like a vegetal hat. The double waterfall of the fountain is crowned by an artichoke- a symbol of fertility. Below, on the pylon, small jets of water raise two small amphorae facing each other. The materials used in the construction were limestone, for the sculptural group, and granite for the artichoke; all materials came from quarries near Madrid.
The Artichoke Fountain was right at the southwest corner of the Estanque Grande del Buen Retiro, an artificial pond created as part of the development of El Retiro during the reign of Philip IV (1605-1665). The 200,000 square foot, five-foot deep water feature is one of the most important landscape elements of the park.
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We began at the Artichoke Fountain which is just out of the view at the lower right, and we stopped at the corner of the pond to take some pictures looking across it to the Alfonso XII Monument:
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The views from here were really neat. We could see up the west walkway along the Estanque, we could see east along the walkway that we would follow momentarily, and we could see across the Estanque not only to the monument but also to the north side, where it turned out there was a place you could rent little paddle boats to go out on the water. You can see this view in a panoramic view that I let my little camera make. Before we head around to the monument, here are perhaps two of the best views from this corner of the pond:
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So we turned and walked along the south side of the pond, passing what turned out to be a "facilities" building that seemed rather ornately decorated for what it was (including the two sphinx-like statues on top that you can see here and here). And a little further along was this naval monument.
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Then we could look across the part of the monument near the water and beyond to the north side of the pond. You can see that view here.
The Monument to Alfonso XII
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In the central base of the monument are the statues "La Paz" ("Peace"), "La Libertad" ("Freedom"), and "El Progreso" ("Progress"); in the pedestal, there are three bronze reliefs.
Stairs descend from the central monument toward the lake, with four stone lions on pedestals arrayed around the front of the monument. Under each of these pedestals, extending out over the water, are four mermaids.
At either end of the two colonnades are access paths (one of which we took to come up onto the monument), and there are two lion sculptures on two pedestals at each of these access points.
At the back of the monument, there are two sculptures on the outside ends of the colonnades by the central access opening; these are "El Ejército" ("The Army") and "La Marina" ("The Navy").
On the inside of the colonnades, there are four sculptures, one on each of the four pillars that anchor the ends of the colonnades; these are "Las Ciencias" ("Sciences"), "La Agricultura" ("Agriculture"), "Las Artes" ("The Arts"), and "La Industria" ("Industry").
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As with all slideshows, use the little arrows in the lower corners of each slide to move from one to another, and track your progress through the show by referring to the index numbers in the upper left. Enjoy looking around this beautiful monument!
In addition to the normal pictures that you saw in the slideshow, both Fred and I took some panoramic pictures that I want to include here.
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After we'd walked around the Alfonso XII Monument, we exited through the east side of it, walking through the opening between the two colonnades. We could see another monument in the distance and we wanted to see what it was.
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So we headed west to the next monument, passing by a neat tree on the way to our next stop. Incidentally, here's the remainder of our route through El Retiro:
Finishing Up Our "Walk in the Park"
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Arsenio Martínez-Campos y Antón (1831 – 1900), was a Spanish officer who rose against the First Spanish Republic in a military revolution in 1874 and restored Spain's Bourbon dynasty. Later, he became Captain-General of Cuba. The soldier and politician took part in wars in Africa, Mexico and Cuba and in the last Carlist war.
Martínez Campos received a military education and in 1860, he was sent to Africa to take part in the Tetuán War in Morocco, and took part in the 1861 campaign against Mexican urban rebels. After the Revolution of 1868, Martínez Campos requested a posting to Cuba, where he fought against the rebels there; after three years of little success and many losses, another general took over and Campos returned to Spain.
In 1872, Martínez Campos returned to Spain, where the chaotic situation caused him to plot against the Republic and for Alfonso XII, son of the exiled Isabel II. He came under suspicion but managed to escape Avila, return to Madrid, and in 1874 lead a coup d'état in Sagunto to restore the throne to Alfonso XII. He became governor of Cuba in 1876, and finally arranged a peace with the rebels in 1878. Campos held positions in Alfonso's government and had numerous military postings, eventually being named president of the Supreme War and Navy Council- a post he held at his death in 1900.
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There were turtles, lizards, and porpoises all spitting water- here are images of each of them:
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From the Cuba Monument, we walked west again along Paseo de Columbia towards the Galapagos Fountain. Along the way, we passed the monument to Serafin and Joaquin Álvarez Quintero (1871-1938 and 1873-1944)- brothers and famous Spanish dramatists. Made of stone, marble, and bronze, the monument recalls a scene from one of the brothers' plays, and has a female figure and an Andalusian rider. The monument was erected in 1934.
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The fountain shows three fairies offering their gifts to the princess and the sculpture reflects good wishes for the future queen. The dolphins ridden by four children are associated with intelligence, wisdom and prudence; the marine elements represent fertility, as water is the source of all life, and the Galápagos tortoises symbolise longevity.
Here are some additional views of the fountain, including a couple of closeup views of the figures:
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In addition to the still pictures, both Fred and I thought the fountain interesting enough to make movies, and you can use the players below to watch them. (Fred's concentrates on closeup views of the fountain's figures.)
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We were now at the northwest corner of the park, and it was getting late, so we decided to leave through the Puerta de Alcala Gate, which is at the far end of the promenade you can see behind me. We walked down that promenade to the gates, and just before we got to them, found a nicely-landscaped low fountain just inside the park's Puerte de Alcala gates.
Walking Along Calle Alfonso XII
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The Puerta de Alcalá was a gate of the former Walls of Philip IV. It now stands near the city center in a square bisected by Alcalá Street, although that street does not cross through the monument. The square is the origin of the Alfonso XII, Serrano and Olózaga streets. Its name originates from the old path from Madrid to the nearby town of Alcalá de Henares.
Madrid in the late 18th century still looked like a somewhat drab borough, surrounded by medieval walls. Around the year 1774, king Charles III commissioned Francesco Sabatini to construct a monumental gate in the city wall through which an expanded road to the city of Alcalá was to pass, replacing an older, smaller, gate that stood nearby. It was inaugurated in 1778.
We have been running across Meninas all over Madrid today, but the biggest concentration so far was right here- just outside the gates to El Retiro, and from the number of people in line to have their pictures taken with them, these are well-known and popular.
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Of course, walking south along the street, the park was on our left. On our right, we could look down the typical Madrid streets, and Fred noticed what appeared to be a church with its bell tower surrounded by scaffolding. Then, about a quarter of the way down the street to Atocha, we came to the park's "Gate of Spain".
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It seems as if, over the years, Spanish kings, queens, and a few pretenders, have taken it upon themselves to add to El Retiro, and in 1739 it was Philip V's (1700–1746) turn when he ordered the creation of a parterre, the only French-style garden in the complex. The parterre was our last stop.
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French parterres originated in the gardens of the French Renaissance of the 15th century and often had the form of knot gardens. Later, during the 17th century Baroque era, they became more elaborate and stylized. The French parterre reached its greatest development at the Palace of Versailles, which inspired many similar parterres throughout Europe- including this one. This parterre runs from the Puerta de Felipe IV eastward into the El Retiro, almost to the Artichoke Fountain at the southwest corner of the large pond. You can see its general layout in the aerial view above. In contrast with the rest of El Retiro, the parterre is a relatively open space, as you can judge by the expansive panoramic view in the scrollable window below:
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There were a couple of features other than the meticulously-planted flowers within the typical parterre hedge bordered beds and the broad walkways that we found interesting.
Jacinto Benavente Monument |
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Born in Madrid, the son of a celebrated pediatrician, he returned drama to reality by way of social criticism. A liberal monarchist and a critic of Socialism, he was a reluctant supporter of the Franco régime as the only viable alternative to what he considered the disastrous republican experiment of 1931–1936. In 1936 Benavente's name became associated with the assassination of the Spanish poet and dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca. This happened when the Nationalist newspapers Estampa, El Correo de Andalucia, and Ideal circulated a fake news story that Lorca had been killed as a reprisal for the Republican murder of Benavente (which had not occurred). Benavente actually died in Toledo at the age of 87. He never married (and was labeled by many sources as a homosexual).
I thought the sculpture atop the monument was very interesting. It was not of Benavente himself, but rather of a Greek woman holding the mask of drama above her head. Fred used his zoom to get a good closeup view of the top of the monument.
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So we really don't know if this is some natural phenomenon, or if the trees were actually pruned, topiary-style, into these shapes. The end result was nothing short of amazing- much more complex than a typical bush that is just pruned into an animal shape. We got under the foliage to see if we could discern how the effect was achieved, but from underneath it almost appeared more natural and less man-made.
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We left the parterre again via the Puerta de Felipe IV where I found, across the street, a particularly beautiful building. We finally continued down Calle Alfonso XII back to our starting point- the southwest corner of El Retiro. These gardens were amazing, but sadly the four hours or so that we had to spend in them really didn't do them justice. If we ever return to Madrid, we will definitely spend more time here, and see more of the expansive park.
But for this evening, it being 7:30 or so, we started making our way back to the condo. We decided to stop at a little restaurant along Rondo de Atocha for some supper, and we stopped at a grocery store on the way to get some fruit and snacks for tomorrow. This was a great day in Madrid, and we expect to see at least as much tomorrow.
You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.
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May 9, 2018: The Parks of Madrid |
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May 7, 2018: Madrid Arrival |
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Return to the Index for Our Visit to Madrid |
