The Muslim Walls of Madrid are the oldest surviving construction in the city, dating back to the ninth century. They were ordered by the Emir Muhammad I of Córdoba between eight sixty and eight eighty to fortify a strategic military…
History of Madrid
This walk traces the story of Madrid from its medieval origins as a Muslim fortress to its transformation into a grand imperial capital. You will follow the city's growth through its oldest surviving monuments, royal squares, and elegant boulevards.
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1. Muslim Walls of Madrid
2. Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid presents a colossal, symmetrical façade of grey granite and white limestone, stretching over one hundred thirty-five thousand square meters. It is the largest royal palace in Europe, containing over three…
3. St Nicholas' Church, Madrid
The Church of San Nicolás de los Servitas is marked by a square brick tower featuring Mudejar-style arches, which rises distinctly above the surrounding buildings in the old part of the city. This tower, dating back to the twelfth century,…
4. Plaza de la Villa
Plaza de la Villa contains a collection of buildings from three distinct centuries, arranged around a central bronze statue of the Spanish admiral Álvaro de Bazán. The space functioned as the municipal seat of Madrid for centuries,…
5. Plaza Mayor
The Plaza Mayor is a massive, rectangular space in the center of Madrid enclosed by three-story residential buildings with over two hundred balconies overlooking the stone ground. At its center stands a bronze equestrian statue of King…
6. Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales
The Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales occupies a palace from the sixteenth century, identifiable by its notably sober, unassuming stone façade in the center of Madrid. Founded in fifteen fifty-nine by Joanna of Austria, sister of King…
7. Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol is a sweeping, semi-circular plaza defined by the red brick facade of the Real Casa de Correos. This building, constructed between seventeen sixty-six and seventeen sixty-eight by French architect Jaime Marquet, carries a…
8. Metropolis Building
The Metropolis Building is defined by its rounded slate cupola covered in thirty thousand leaves of twenty-four carat gold. Located at the corner of Calle de Alcalá and Gran Vía, this Beaux-Arts structure stands forty-five meters high.…
9. Puerta de Alcalá
The Puerta de Alcalá is a granite and limestone triumphal arch featuring five openings, with three large central arches and two smaller, rectangular side passages. Located in the Plaza de la Independencia, it is distinguished by two unique…