What to see in Madrid, itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest in the capital of Spain, including the Prado Museum, Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor and Retiro Park.
Tourist information
Built on the site of an Arab fortress called Magerit, Madrid began to take on its current shape between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, although the first traces of its existence date back to the ninth century.
In 1992 it was recognized as the European capital of culture.
The Prado Museum is rich in works of art, among which those of Goya, Velasquez, Caravaggio and Raffaello stand out, as well as those of prestigious Italian artists.
The Royal Palace, rebuilt in the eighteenth century after it had been destroyed by fire, was in the past the main residence of the Spanish royalty.
Today it is used to receive heads of state from other nations.
Distributed in the numerous rooms there are paintings by prestigious authors.
Of particular interest are the Throne Room, the Porcelain Room, the Royal Pharmacy and the Royal Armory, where a collection of armor is exhibited.
The Almudena Cathedral stands along the south side of the Royal Palace, in front of the visitors' entrance, precisely where the Madrid mosque was once located.
With a project dating back to 1800, the Church was consecrated only in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, since then becoming the Cathedral of Madrid.
The construction lasted for over a century, a factor that led to several changes compared to the original project, with the consequent fusion of different architectural styles.
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What see
Plaza Mayor, with a rectangular plan and main meeting place for citizens, was built in the seventeenth century.
The historic buildings arranged along its sides include arcades on the ground floor, where there are various types of shops and places to eat or drink.
In the middle of the square is the statue of King Philip III.
The Casa della Panaderia, originally a city bakery, housed the Royal Academy of History and the Municipal Library, while today it is home to the Madrid Tourism Center.
The Arco de Cuchilleros is the best-known entrance door, designed by the architect himself who designed the current design of the square, namely the Spanish Juan de Villanueva.
Puerta del Sol is the central square of Madrid, where the metro station is located, from which many streets radiate and for this nicknamed the kilometer 0.
The Retiro Park is an immense park in the center of Madrid, which can be visited on foot or by bicycle, inside there is a glass building, where some exhibitions are periodically held, as well as a small lake where you can rent small boats.
The El Escorial Monastery, about fifty kilometers from Madrid, is a complex of buildings rich in history and art, formerly a private residence, then a pantheon, convent and church.
Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caidos, located less than ten kilometers from the El Escorial Monastery, was opened to the public in 1957 and is part of Spain's national heritage.
This monument was wanted by Francisco Franco for the burial of José Antonio Primo de Rivera, who fell during the Spanish civil war, and of other tens of thousands of fighters.
The Queen Sofia Art Center, located in Santa Isabel, is a modern art museum dedicated to works of art created from the early twentieth century.
The main attraction of tourists is Pablo Picasso's Guernica.
