Madrid, Spain

Nearby areas in Madrid, Spain

Old Madrid

This 16th-century city with much older Moorish roots is known as the "Madrid de los Austrias," after the reigning Hapsburg dynasty. During their time, many of the city's royal monasteries, churches, and private palaces were built. In the 17th century, the Plaza Mayor was added and became the focal point of The Inquisition, and the Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun) became the spiritual and geographic heart of Spain.

Bourbon Madrid

To the east of Old Madrid once lay a pastoral district of market gardens called El Prado (The Meadow), but a monastery was built there in the 16th century. The Hapsburgs later expanded it into a palace and though only a few fragments remain of the structure, the gardens are now the popular Parque del Retiro. The Bourbon monarchs expanded and embellished this area in the 18th century, building grand squares with fountains, a triumphal gateway, and the beginnings of what became the world-famous Museo del Prado.

La Latina

This district is considered the heart of castizo Madrid, a term that describes the culture of the traditional working classes of the city - the true Madrileños. La Latina runs along the city's southern hillside from the Plaza Puerta de Moros, south through the streets of the ancient Rastro flea market. Its steep, attractive streets are lined with tall, narrow houses, and several old-fashioned bars are clustered around the Plaza de Tirso de Molina.

Malasaña

An authentic Old Madrid feeling permeates this district characterized by narrow, sloping streets and tall houses. After the death of Franco, this became the focus of a frenzied artistic rebirth known as the movida. The Plaza del Dos de Mayo houses a monument to the heroic uprising against the French in 1808. The Iglesia de San Antonio de los Alemanes is a church founded by Felipe III in the 1600s, and contains walls decorated with 18th-century frescoes by Giordano.

For more information about Madrid, Spain

Madrid Tourism Office

Torre Madrid, Plaza España, Princesa 1, Madrid, Spain; Phone 011-34-91-541-2325.

Chicago

845 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, phone 312-642-1992, fax 312-642-9817.

Los Angeles

8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 960, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, phone 213-658-7188, fax 213-658-1061.

Miami

1221 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1850, Miami, FL 33131, phone 305-358-1992, fax 305-358-8223.

New York

666 5th Avenue, 35th floor, New York, NY 10103, phone 212-265-8822, fax 212-265-8864.