In reality, to know the Madrid of the Austrias is to know the original Madrid. If you don’t know any of the historic buildings that complete this neighborhood or haven’t walked through these squares it’s almost as if you don’t know the city. Its perimeter coincides with the medieval layout of the city, so although there is little left of the wall, the area around Main Street is the beginning of what the capital is today.
It is called so, and not old Madrid, because it was Philip II who brought the capital to the city and made it develop. Although the official boundaries of Madrid de los Austrias are sometimes confusing when explained to tourists, since for simplicity’s sake they include areas of Centro and La Latina that were not part of the neighborhood.
1. Plaza Mayor
In its 400-year history, the square has evolved enough to change its name – it was originally called the Plaza del Arrabal – but it continues to be a commercial and social center of the city.
The original sixteenth-century design is by Juan de Herrera (who also designed El Escorial), but was later restructured by Francisco and Juan Gómez de Mora. Although the space was already being used to hold fairs since 1463 when Henry IV granted the town this privilege.
The square, originally with wooden arcades, underwent several reforms until it became the great Plaza Mayor of Madrid in 1617, when the architect Gómez de Mora managed to provide it and frame it within a rectangle 152 meters long by 94 meters wide. The construction on an artificial platform solved the unevenness between the square and the Cava de San Miguel by means of houses in the form of an embankment wall -that is why the houses seem to be curved at the base. The final touch to solve the problem was to build the staircase and the famous Arco de Cuchilleros, which became distinctive symbols of Madrid de los Austrias.
2. Monastery of the Incarnation
The Royal Monastery of the Incarnation was founded in the 16th century by Queen Margaret consort of Austria, wife of Philip III. It was originally connected by a passageway to the old Alcazar of Madrid (in fact, it was where the monarchs heard mass), but the passageway disappeared when the Royal Palace was built. Its architecture combines Renaissance and Baroque elements, but what stands out most from the outside is the church. Here the blood of St. Pantaleon has been kept for centuries and every July 27th it is liquefied and the church is filled with the faithful and the curious.
The monastery, where nuns still live, also has important sculptural and pictorial suites. One of the most impressive is the recumbent Christ of Gregorio Fernandez, which is life-size and very realistic. Another curiosity is the room in which there are more than 700 relics of saints, it is difficult to find something like this in another part of the world. Here lie the remains of Teresa of Jesus, St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Augustine, among many others.
3. Plaza de La Villa
The Plaza de la Villa, where the Elbow Street is one of the best preserved Suites of medieval Madrid that is often overlooked. Some people cross the square often because they walk up or down Main Street and are unaware of the fact that the Lujanes House and Tower (in the background) is the oldest civil building in the capital – built in the second half of the 15th century.
It is followed by the Casa Cisneros, which was built by the nephew of the famous cardinal and is easily recognized by the overhanging passageway that connects it to the Casa de la Villa. The latter has been the seat of the Madrid City Hall from 1693 to 2007 and condenses almost all the characteristics of Madrid’s architecture, which always looks towards El Escorial and the work of Juan de Herrera.
4. Descalzas Reales Monastery
The Descalzas Reales Monastery was founded in the 16th century by Juana of Austria, daughter of Emperor Charles V and sister of Philip II. This monastery has been an enclave of monastic life and spirituality for centuries. Its architecture combines Renaissance and Baroque elements, presenting a sober façade, but inside it houses an artistic and cultural richness that continues to be a subject of interest for current podcasts such as Philip’s Daughters.
The most notable feature of this monastery is its extraordinary art collection, which includes paintings by Italian Baroque artists, tapestries by Rubens and religious objects of great historical and artistic value. In addition, its connection with Spanish royalty gives it a special character, as it was home to several noble daughters and daughters of royalty who took religious vows and left their mark on the convent.
5. Royal Palace
The Royal Palace of Madrid is not the official residence of the royal family since the time of Alfonso XIII, in fact, it is more of a museum that can be visited and is only used sporadically for some important event. It is the largest palace in Western Europe, its baroque and neoclassical architecture bursts with its monumentality in the middle of the city. It is also surrounded by the Sabatini Gardens and the Campo del Moro, which originally linked it to the Casa de Campo where the monarchs hunted.
It was built in the eighteenth century, was erected on the ashes of the old fortress of the Habsburgs, which did not convince the Bourbons. The new dynasty, which arrived with Philip V, decided to build a palace of the taste of their country of origin: France.
The interior of the Royal Palace is a testimony to the splendor and opulence of the Spanish monarchy, exhibiting an extraordinary collection of art, furniture, tapestries, porcelains and masterpieces by painters such as Velázquez, Goya and Caravaggio. Some of its rooms are the summary of this power, such as the Throne Room and the Gasparini Room. But where more stories happen is in the main staircase, which has witnessed revolts, such as the one against the regent Espartero or against the Liberal Triennium.
6. Royal Collections Gallery
The Royal Collections Gallery is the last great museum in Madrid and the most modern building on the list.
It seemed difficult to compete with the museum offer that the city already has, but the great works of art that the kings have been acquiring over the centuries – from the Visigoths to the twentieth century – have entered directly into the list of visits to be made in the capital.
Among the 650 works are paintings by Raphael, Titian, Velázquez and Rubens; a first edition of Don Quixote and remains of the Arab wall.
7. Collegiate Church of San Isidro
Until the works at La Almudena were completed and it was consecrated as a cathedral in 1993,the Collegiate Church of San Isidro had held this title for a century, although it was always on a “temporary” basis. It is located on Toledo Street, between Plaza Mayor and La Latina. In spite of its large size, as it is attached to another adjoining building, it goes unnoticed compared to other churches, but architecturally it is of great value.
It was first designed by the Jesuit Pedro Sánchez following the baroque model of the church of Il Gesú in Rome. But in the 18th century the architect Ventura Rodriguez rebuilt the interior with a new presbytery and a neoclassical high altar.
During the Civil War the dome was destroyed, it was an important loss because it was the first encamonada – a false dome of plaster and wood – and some works of art by Luca Giordano and Francisco Ricci.
8. The Almudena
It took more than a century for La Almudena to become the cathedral of Madrid, from the time Alfonso XII laid the first stone in 1868 until its consecration in 1993. Originally designed by Francisco de Cubas, the work evolved over the years with contributions from other architects, such as Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro, adapting the project to harmonize with the surroundings, particularly with the Royal Palace. The result of so much intervention has nothing to do with the initial project and has not convinced the people of Madrid.
After the hiatus of the Civil War, construction was fully reactivated in 1984 under Cardinal Ángel Suquía and was finally consecrated by Pope St. John Paul II. The final style is somewhere between neo-Gothic and neoclassical, without being either.
The interior houses works of art such as the Crucified Christ by Juan de Mesa and has a Latin cross floor plan with decorative elements, stained glass windows and chapels dedicated to saints from Madrid. The crypt was the first to be built and houses remarkable tombs and historical relics, including the Virgin of the Fleur de Lis, the oldest Marian image in Madrid, discovered in the 17th century and dated between the 12th and 13th centuries.