If you’re finishing up a visit to the Palacio Real and walk straight past the Royal Armoury without going in, you’re making a serious mistake. I know, I know — by the time you’ve done the palace, you’re tired, your feet hurt, and the café is calling. But trust me on this one: the Royal […]
Guide to the Royal Armoury at Madrid’s Palacio Real Read More »
I’m delighted to announce that after months of hard work, my audio tour produced in collaboration with Voicemap has been launched. If you’re interested in finding out more here’s my sales pitch: Visiting Madrid and want to find out more about the history of its most famous park? Why not buy my audio tour of
Narratives surrounding Spain’s Jewish converts to Christianity and their descendants (known collectively as conversos) understandably focus on the victimization of this community. Historian Kevin Ingram shifts the perspective a little by asking what role they played as innovators in modern Spain. In the latest episode of the podcast to coincide with the presentation of his
Kevin Ingram on the Descendants of Jewish Converts Read More »
Nestled below the royal palace lies one of the city’s most beautiful and overlooked treasures: the Campo del Moro gardens. One of the destinations in my new book Quiet Madrid: A Guide to the City’s Third Spaces and Hidden Places, these stunning gardens offer both tranquility and a fascinating glimpse into the city’s medieval past.
The big news at The Making of Madrid is that there’s a new podcast in the works. When the project was conceived, the very first person I wanted to interview was historian Caroline Fish – not only because she was about to leave for the States but also because she’s such an engaging speaker. A
Madrid’s Hidden Gem: Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales Read More »
What is the Habsburg jaw? The Habsburg jaw is a severe facial deformity characterized by a protruding lower jaw (mandibular prognathism) and receding upper jaw (maxillary deficiency) that plagued Europe’s most powerful royal dynasty for generations. This distinctive feature, visible in portraits spanning two centuries, resulted from inbreeding practices designed to keep power within the
The Habsburg Jaw Explained: The Price of 200 Years of Royal Inbreeding Read More »
An enduring enigma Marooned in the center of the Iberian peninsula atop the Meseta Central, landlocked Madrid suffers boiling summers and, in the days before climate change, extremely harsh winters. Regardless, Felipe II decided to settle the court permanently here in 1561. A puzzling move that he never properly explained. Despite leaving behind reams of
Caught on canvas or let off the hook? Portraiture is a tricky business. An artist has to balance capturing the true likeness of the subject with flattering their ego. If said subject is a nasty piece of work, the job just gets even trickier. This post features three portraits of Spain’s most notoriously nefarious rogues,
Caught on Canvas: a Rogues’ Gallery of Spanish Rulers Read More »
From when mammoths stalked the Manzanares River to when Napoleon stomped through the city’s gates, these three museums reveal Madrid through the ages. And the good news is, they’re all completely free! The Museum of San Isidro: The Origins of Madrid The first of my three museums that reveal Madrid through the ages is The
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A king’s blessing The stage was quite literally set for theatre in Madrid to flourish soon after Philip II relocated the court here. The ever astute ruler realised that he could use the popularity of the theatre in Madrid to raise much needed funds for public hospitals. So in 1565 he signed a document authorising
