English

ZONA D) Old Town of Madrid: The largest red circle marks the limits of Madrid until the mid-nineteenth century. Many of the streets that delimit the old town are called "rounds". 

 By the C/Atocha we head towards the Plaza de Benavente.

Zone C) Perimeter of the VILLA of MADRID in the 14th-15th century. The Catholic monarchs raised a new fence (small wall) in which the door of the sun appeared:

-Plaza Mayor-Plaza de la Villa

Within this perimeter we begin to find the buildings and monuments in which we will stop:

Small wall illustrated by Don Quixote and Rocinante

1) Palacio de Santa Cruz (former prison and current Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Architect (Gómez de Mora)

Angel Detail (When someone was arrested it was said that he would sleep under the angel).

Characteristics of the building.

The building was used as a prison until the reign of Philip V of Spain, which
That turned him into a palace.

This is one of the most important palatial constructions in the Spanish capital. It is very characteristic the combination of brick and granite, which is reserved for Esquinazos, doorways, lintels and sills, and the spires that crown the towers. This model would be very successful in the architecture of the court, and would be imitated in other buildings. The aesthetics of the building recalls the formation of Gomez de Mora and shows the late Renaissance in the 17th century courtesan architecture. Rectangular, with angular towers in the corners, is structured internally in two symmetrical patios that organize the space, allowing the ventilation and the entrance of the natural light.

There was an expression, sleeping under the angel, which meant going to jail, in relation to the statue of an angel that crowns its facade.

2) Plaza Mayor. Equestrian statue of Philip III. Bakery House.

Zone B) Perimeter of the 12th century Arab village.  This area corresponds to the old Muslim village. The streets called "Cavas" mark the line of the old walls (look for the names of these cavas today). Inside the walls was the old Muslim Medina (there are only vestiges of that time, but we can see some remains of the Arab wall). In this area we will stop at:

3) Plaza de la Villa (in which are the oldest buildings in Madrid in the 15th century)

Photos and information of the important buildings: tower and House of the Lujanes

Architectural ensemble of the house and Tower of the Lujanes, in the Plaza de la Villa in Madrid, is one of the oldest in the city. While house and tower date from different times, the truth is that the tower can be dated at the beginning of the 15th century, and the house something later at the end of the same century. In the first half of the 15th century it was the residence of Gonzalo García de Ocaña, senior accountant of the kingdom.

The Cisneros Palace

The old house of the Villa

The House of the Villa of Madrid is a building located in the Plaza de la Villa (adjacent to the main Street in Madrid) which was inaugurated in the year 1692. It was the seat of the City Council of Madrid from the 17th century until the year 2008, in which it moved to the Palace of Communications. At present the use of the House of the Villa is limited to official events, receptions, etc. However, it is planned to reopen in 2015, sharing use as a municipal museum on the one hand and as the seat of the Municipal Training Institute on the other.

Sculpture by D. Alvaro de Bazán

The monument to Don Álvaro de Bazán is located in the central part of the Plaza de la Villa, among some of the buildings with the most history of Madrid: The House of the villa on your left, the houses and tower of the lujanes on your right and the house of Cisneros on your back. When we visited it to elaborate this text, we found that it brought a human and almost colorful touch to an architectural environment so monumental

4) Calle Mayor with the building of the Councils and memorial to the victims of the assassination that Alfonso XIII suffered in 1906.

5) Arab Wall

The Muslim wall of Madrid, known as the Arab Wall of Madrid and of which some vestiges are preserved, is located in the Spanish city of the same name and is probably the oldest construction in the city. It was built in the 9th century, during the Muslim domination of the Iberian Peninsula, on a promontory located next to the Manzanares River. It was part of a fortress, around which the urban nucleus of Madrid was developed. It was declared a historical-artistic monument in the year 1954.La Muslim wall of Madrid, known as the Arab Wall of Madrid and of which some vestiges are preserved, is in the Spanish city of the same name and is probably the construction on foot more Old Town. It was built in the 9th century, during the Muslim domination of the Iberian Peninsula, on a promontory located next to the Manzanares River. It was part of a fortress, around which the urban nucleus of Madrid was developed.

Legend of the Miracle of the apparition of the image of the Virgin of the Almudena:

The fragment of the wall where it was found fell demolished, showing the image, which remained intact and with the two candles with which it had been walled still lit in spite of the centuries elapsed.

Zone A. Nucleus originating in MADRID. The ALMUDENA. "Almudena" in Arabic means strength. In this area rose the fortress that the Arabs built to guard the arrival of possible Christian enemies who came from the north. In this place the Christians built also a fortress or Alcazar. The Alcazar, used by the kings of the dynasty of the Habsburgs, was burned in the early eighteenth century (look for drawings of the Alcazar and explain its strategic situation) and the Bourbons decided to build the actual royal palace.  We have arrived at the original nucleus of MADRID and we will visit the Royal Palace and its surroundings.

-6) Catedral de Madrid. Our Lady of the Almudena. (Photos and information)

-7) Royal Palace. (Photos, information and commentary of the visit) The photos of the interior are taken out of the Internet



Línea roja, nuestro itinerario.
Líneas moradas : delimitan la zona del Casco Antiguo D
la  zona que abarcaba Madrid en el siglo XV  C
La zona musulmana B

-