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The Making of Madrid From medieval medina to modern metropolis
17th December 2020
How Spanish Nativities Became Huge

How Spanish Nativities Became Huge

Spanish Style Christmas Kitsch I first encountered the OTT Spanish nativity at a Christmas feast hosted by my uncle-in-law. Tío Mariano is famed for stuffing his guests with enough fine wine, top shelf jamón, and truffles to bring on a deep and lasting food coma. I wound up stupefied however, the moment I walked through …

25th April 2020
A History of Epidemics in Madrid

A History of Epidemics in Madrid

One of Madrid’s great mysteries is why Philip II named a country backwater as his capital when he had other, far more well-established cities to choose from. While Madrid is geographically slap bang in the center of Spain, in the 16th century roads were so poor that some believe delays in delivering the king’s orders …

19th March 2020
On Guard! Duelling in the Golden Age of Spanish Literature

On Guard! Duelling in the Golden Age of Spanish Literature

In Madrid’s Royal Academy of History lies a document that has had scholars of Spanish literature up in arms ever since it was discovered in a dusty archive in Valladolid back in 1840. Dated September 1569, it’s an order for the arrest of a “certain Miguel de Cervantes” accused of gravely wounding Don Antonio de …

21st February 2020
When the Streets Had no Names

When the Streets Had no Names

The beautiful tiled street signs you find all over central Madrid are one of the city’s most distinctive features and reproductions of them are sold by the bucket-load to tourists looking to take some souvenir of their stay back with them. But did you know that these iconic tiles only date as far back as …

18th January 2020
Madrid’s Golden Age of Commercial Ceramic Art

Madrid’s Golden Age of Commercial Ceramic Art

Anyone who finds themselves in the lobby of the newly refurbished Sevilla metro is in for a treat. Finally exposed after being hidden for 50 years is the svelte figure of a sassy flapper from the 1920s. The text accompanying her reads: “Sales de Carabaña soap, unbeatable for the skin.” It’s an advertisement that dates …

22nd December 2019
The Terrible Weight of a Hidden Past

The Terrible Weight of a Hidden Past

A note scribbled in pencil on the inside of a cigarette packet, a few stones, a faded photograph… At first glance the objects in this exhibition seem hardly worthy of a second look and yet, once you discover the stories attached to them, they become charged with a terrible significance. Carrying the weight of an …

4th November 2019
Madrid’s Most Problematic Painting

Madrid’s Most Problematic Painting

The Allegory of the Town of Madrid is not one of Goya‘s best paintings. Classical in style, there’s little to hint at the innovative verve of his later Black Paintings, nor any reflection of the tenderness of his earlier portraits of working-class Madrileños. But, if you know a little bit about its history, this canvas …

7th October 2019
A Peek Inside Banco de España

A Peek Inside Banco de España

Dominating Cibeles, the Banco de España, with its imposing wrought iron doorways and gorgeous masonry, is one of Madrid’s most impressive buildings. But, being home to the country’s huge gold reserves, visits inside are strictly supervised and incredibly scarce. For most of us mere mortals, the only opportunity to penetrate this behemoth comes once a …

27th August 2019
The Chilling Tale of Doctor Velasco’s Mummified Daughter

The Chilling Tale of Doctor Velasco’s Mummified Daughter

Though Madrid’s museums are wonderful places all year round, they’re particularly tempting in summer when the temperatures outside soar. Air-conditioned refuges from the unrelenting heat. However, one museum in particular is guaranteed to deliver a shiver right down your spine, not just because of its artificially chilled air, but because its rows of antique cabinets …

23rd July 2019
Madrid’s Secret Civil War Bunker

Madrid’s Secret Civil War Bunker

General Miaja is worried. Though the heavy bombardment by German planes has stopped, Franco’s troops are on his doorstep. Banners floating above the battered city streets defiantly declare “No Pasarán!”. But right now, at the beginning of 1937, the head of Madrid’s Defence Council admits to himself that they might just get through. If he …

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