Plaza Mayor
Madrid’s great central square is located in the heart of the oldest part of the city, Habsburg Madrid. Steeped in history, this bustling square is the perfect place to start your stroll through one of Madrid’s most charming neighbourhoods. Have a bite to eat or a coffee on one of the sunny terraces, buy a souvenir from one of the old-fashioned shops, watch the street musicians and artists and soak up the city’s rich history. The square also hosts events such as the Easter Drum Parade, open-air concerts and the city’s Christmas market in December, so be sure to check the calendar while you’re here.
Before Madrid became the city you see today, with its grand avenues and boulevards, it was made up of small streets and alleyways that today conjure up images of swashbucklers and scoundrels.
Mercado de San Miguel
More than 100 years have passed since the Mercado de San Miguel was inaugurated as a food market. Today, this historic building is one of the world’s leading gastronomic markets, offering visitors a journey through the essence and flavours of every corner of Spain.
From the best Iberian ham or the freshest seafood brought in daily from Galicia, to Mediterranean rice dishes or the most special cheeses from Castile, Asturias or the Basque Country. In the Mercado de San Miguel you’ll find the best of Spanish gastronomy in more than 20 stalls that share a common commitment to quality tapas.
Calle del Codo
Calle del Codo leaves the Plaza de la Villa and leads to the Plaza del Conde Miranda.
On the right-hand corner of the street, next to Plaza de la Villa, is the only door of the Torre de los Lujanes, with Gothic ornamentation, pointed horseshoe arch and lapidary inscriptions on the voussoirs, which used to communicate with the outskirts of the city.
Plaza de la Villa
Plaza de la Villa is one of the best-preserved monumental complexes in Madrid. It is located in the historic centre, near the Puerta del Sol, and has been the seat of the capital’s City Council.
It was one of the main centres of medieval Madrid, as it is the origin of three small streets that correspond to the primitive layout of the city: El Codo, Cordón and Madrid. It is surrounded by the main façades of three buildings of great historical and artistic value, built in different centuries. The oldest is the Casa y Torre de los Lujanes (15th century), built in Gothic-Mudejar style, located on the eastern side of the square and today the seat of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences. It is followed by the Casa de Cisneros (16th century), a Plateresque palace that closes the southern part of the square, and the Casa de la Villa (17th century), in Baroque style, one of the headquarters of the Madrid City Council, located on the western side of the square.
Madrid Royal Palace
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the King of Spain; however, the current kings do not live there, but in the Zarzuela Palace, so it is used for state ceremonies and solemn acts. This is where our visit really begins.
Although Juvarra’s original project was never completed, the Royal Palace of Madrid can boast of being the largest inhabited palace in Europe. And we say inhabited because, although the Spanish royal family does not live in it, it is still the place where they have their official residence. As we have already mentioned, the building, whose construction lasted until 1764, when Carlos III first lived there, covers 135,000 square metres and has 3,418 rooms, not to mention 870 windows, 240 balconies and 44 staircases. The comparisons are uncomfortable, but despite what many believe, the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, has 67,000 square metres, so that of Madrid surpasses it.
There are almost 3,500 rooms that are not included in the tour, but some of the most outstanding, around twenty, are. Walking around the Royal Palace is like travelling back in time to the golden age of the Spanish court in the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the most impressive moments is the encounter with the Throne Room, the true symbol of the power of the Crown. The two thrones defended by the golden lions saved from the destruction of the Real Alcázar, the rich tapestries, curtains and carpets, the luxurious mirrors and lamps.
Almudena Cathedral
Next to the Royal Palace is the Almudena Cathedral, built on the site of the former church of Santa María de la Almudena, which was built on a mosque and dedicated to the Virgen de la Almudena, patron saint of Madrid. The name of the Virgin and the cathedral come from the Arabic word al-mudayna, which means ‘citadel’. The cathedral is located in the historic centre of Madrid; the main façade is in front of the Royal Palace, while the transept façade faces Calle de Bailén and access to the crypt is via Cuesta de la Vega, at the end of Calle Mayor. Unlike most Christian temples, which are oriented east-west, the Cathedral is oriented north-south, the result of its design as an integral part of the Royal Palace complex.
