The Making of Madrid
  • Home
  • Guided Tours
  • About this blog
  • About author
The Making of Madrid From medieval medina to modern metropolis
7th December 2017
Madrid’s Secret Shanty Towns

Madrid’s Secret Shanty Towns

Most of us associate shanty towns with poorer cities outside of Europe – areas where those below the poverty line live cheek to jowl in substandard housing, struggling to get by without proper access to basic amenities like running water and electricity. With these preconceptions in my own mind, it was quite a shock to …

23rd November 2017
All Aboard the Madrid Express to Moscow

All Aboard the Madrid Express to Moscow

Up until December 3, Madrid’s Railway Museum is playing host to a special “Murder on the Orient Express” exhibition. Put on to mark the release of Kenneth Branagh’s film in cinemas, the event pays tribute Agatha Christie’s masterpiece with a display of outfits and accessories from the 1930s shown alongside the museum’s existing collection of antique …

8th November 2017
The Virgin of Almudena, fact or fiction?

The Virgin of Almudena, fact or fiction?

Though it was the Muslims who put Madrid on the map in 860 by building a fortress to protect the kingdom of Al-Andalus from Christian raiders, save for a tiny section of the citadel wall, there is little physical trace of their presence in the city today. However, that isn’t to say they haven’t left …

3rd November 2017
Madrid’s first skyscraper

Madrid’s first skyscraper

The Telefónica building is one of Gran Via’s most impressive sights. Standing at 90 meters tall, this stately white edifice was the brainchild of Ignacio de Cárdenas, an architect who took his inspiration from Manhattan’s impressive skyscrapers, but also added his own Spanish touch with ornamental Baroque flourishes. When the project was completed in March 1929 …

24th October 2017
Pepe Botella: a misunderstood monarch

Pepe Botella: a misunderstood monarch

Have you ever been to Pepe Botella? This traditional bar looking out over Plaza Dos de Mayo is, in my opinion, one of the best places in the city to spend a tranquil morning writing. But do you know what the significance of this bar’s name is and what exactly happened on the second of …

9th October 2017
Walking the front line

Walking the front line

Though the siege of Madrid lasted two and a half years, today the city bears few visible scars. As the bomb craters were filled in, a silence fell over the cowed populace. A silence that until recently has largely remained unbroken. And yet, out on the edges of the city where the battle raged the …

27th September 2017
Built to bamboozle

Built to bamboozle

Take a good look at the building above. How many floors do you think it has? Two, three, four? Stumped? That’s pretty much what the 16th century architect was going for. With its sloped roof and weirdly positioned windows, this building, located in La Latina at number 10 Calle de la Redondilla, was deliberately constructed …

18th September 2017
How Spain lost most of its ill-gotten gold

How Spain lost most of its ill-gotten gold

The conquest of the New World was a bit of a kerching moment for Spain. Galleons containing vast amounts of gold were brought over to fill the crown’s coffers making Spain the envy of all Europe. And yet visitors to Madrid were surprised at how scuzzy the city looked. The unpaved streets were muddy and …

12th September 2017
Mudéjar: the mashup style that reflects Spain’s rich heritage

Mudéjar: the mashup style that reflects Spain’s rich heritage

Though little remains of Madrid’s Moorish past, medieval Andalusia lives on in the popular imagination thanks to the efforts of some late 19th century architects who brought about the revival of a Spanish style known as Mudéjar. Reflecting the fanciful nature of the Romantic period, these red-brick buildings with their square minaret-style towers give Madrid …

1st September 2017
Religious persecution in Plaza Mayor

Religious persecution in Plaza Mayor

In the days before Game of Thrones, the citizens of Madrid were kept entertained by jousting matches, bullfights, executions and autos de fe in the Plaza Mayor. The autos de fe, being public trials put on by the usually secretive Spanish Inquisition, were perhaps the most thrilling of all, for over the course of the …

Posts navigation

Newer Posts
Older Posts

Categories

  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Bourbons
  • Church
  • Civil war
  • Film
  • Franco
  • Hapsburgs
  • Infrastructure
  • Legend
  • Literature
  • Mayors
  • Music
  • Napoleon
  • Origins of Madrid
  • Places to visit
  • The church
  • The second republic
  • Uncategorised

Header image courtesy of Guzmán Lozano

Social

  • View makingofmadrid’s profile on Facebook
  • View makingofmadrid’s profile on Twitter
© 2020 The Making of Madrid
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.