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The Making of Madrid From medieval medina to modern metropolis
23rd July 2018
It’s a bloody miracle!

It’s a bloody miracle!

  “There are people who say it’s a fake, but I can tell you, I’ve seen it myself! It’s really incredible, the blood turns to liquid and goes a bright shade of red!” During this impassioned speech, our guide’s eyes shine with the fervour of the true believer. Some in the group mirror her enthusiasm, …

10th June 2018
La Latina, one of Madrid’s most formidable heroines

La Latina, one of Madrid’s most formidable heroines

No matter how capable she might be, in 15th century Spain it was almost impossible for an ordinary woman to make her mark, let alone leave an impression that would last down through the ages. But that’s exactly what Beatriz Galindo aka La Latina (a nickname that referred to her fluency in Latin) managed to …

1st May 2018
An Uprising Fought by Ordinary Madrileños

An Uprising Fought by Ordinary Madrileños

On May 2 1808 the last remaining members of Spain’s royal family were getting ready to be shipped off to France. Fearing perhaps that if they didn’t keep on Napoleon’s good side they’d wind up (just as their French cousins had) with their severed heads rolling around an executioner’s basket, the Bourbons barely made a …

15th March 2018
Madrid’s ancient motto

Madrid’s ancient motto

I was built on water, my walls are made of fire, this is my flag and my coat of arms. Fui sobre agua edificada, mis muros de fuego son, esta es mi insignia y blasón. The motto of Madrid is pretty damn impressive sounding, but do you have any idea what it means? The water part is a reference …

28th February 2018
The cult of the Christ of Medinaceli

The cult of the Christ of Medinaceli

If you go down to the Paseo del Prado this Friday, prepare to have any preconceptions you had about the Spanish and queuing blown apart. Each year on the first Friday of March, an enormous line of extraordinarily patient people stretches from Plaza de Jesús, along Calle Fúcar and all the way past the Botanical …

13th February 2018
A date with Saint Valentine himself

A date with Saint Valentine himself

Did you know that the bones of Saint Valentine can be found in Madrid? Resting on plush red velvet within a golden reliquary, the supposed remains of this most romantic of saints are housed in the church of San Anton in Chueca. The skull along with various other bones were discovered in some Roman catacombs at …

2nd February 2018
Tabacalera then and now

Tabacalera then and now

Anyone wandering through the chilly graffiti-splattered corridors of Tabacalera would be forgiven for thinking that the former tobacco factory has been abandoned by the powers that be. Rundown, raucous, and rough around the edges, the space feels more like a Berlin squat than a state-owned community centre. This is mostly down to bad management on the …

18th January 2018
Muy majo: Madrid’s fiercely independent working class tribes

Muy majo: Madrid’s fiercely independent working class tribes

If you’ve ever attended a festival in Madrid, you may have seen ladies in polka dot skirts and headscarfs hanging on the arms of gents in tight dark trousers and checkered caps, both sporting bright red carnations. These are the chulapos and chulapas who were immortalized in literature and song during the 19th century as bawdy …

3rd January 2018
Carlos III: a revolutionary king

Carlos III: a revolutionary king

Responsible for belatedly dragging the city out of the dark ages, Carlos III (1716 to 1788) is arguably one of Madrid’s greatest architects. Besides commissioning many iconic monuments, he also introduced street lighting, a proper sewage system, and a rubbish collection service to the city. Nowadays he’s remembered as “El mejor alcalde de Madrid” (Madrid’s …

19th December 2017
The Making of Salamanca

The Making of Salamanca

With its blinged out designer clothes shops filled with trophy wives dragging along toy poodles, Salamanca is THE most exclusive barrio in Madrid. But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, the area has a surprisingly short and initially troubled history. Breaking through the city wall Between 1625 and 1868, Madrid was surrounded by a …

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