Plaza Mayor: Today's Plaza Mayor wasn't in the original walled city of Madrid; it was just outside one of the gates in the 12th century Christian walls. Having developed into an unpaved and basically unconstructed market square, it was finally included inside the city walls in the 15th century. Royal Palace: The Palace dates back to the 9th century, when it was a rudimentary defensive fort constructed by the Islamic Kingdom of Toledo. This fort was subsequently used by the Kings of Castile. The fortress gave way to the building of an Alcí¢zar in the 16th century.
A devastating fire tore through the Alcí¢zar and left the Royal Family of King Phillip V homeless on Christmas Eve in 1734. The King soon ordered a new Palace built on the exact samesite and what rose from the ashes was the current Royal Palace. The new Palace was completed in 1755 and King Carlos III moved in 1764. Calle Bailí¦n s/n. Metro ópera (Line 2 y Line 5) Mon-Sat 9.00am to 6 pm. Sundays and holidays 9.00am to 3.00pm.3.50€ - 9.00€ Prado Museum: The first actual attempt to create a museum in Madrid was made by King Josí¦ Bonaparte just after the construction of the world famous Louvre Museum in France but the project was nipped in the bud in 1809 and the first brick was not even laid.
King Ferdinand VII finally brought the project to a mature stage at the ongoing requests of The Royal Academy of Fine Arts. What is today known as the Prado Museum was opened in 1819 as the Royal Museum of Art and Sculpture. The Prado Museum contains the world¡¯s greatest assembly of Spanish painting íC speciallyworks by Velazquez and Goya íC Ranging from the 12th to 19th centuries. Paseo del Prado betweenPlaza de Neptuno and glorieta de Carlos V. Metro Banco de España (Line 2). Tue-Sat9.00am to7.00pm. Sundays 9.00am to 2.00pm. Mondays closed. Sundays free to EU residents. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofíia: The story of this building dates back to the 16thcentury when it functioned as a public hospital. After being declared Monument of Arts in 1977 it went through several renovations between 1980 and 1988.In 1986 it was first open as Reina Sofíia Center of Fine Arts and in 1988 it finally became the National Museum Reina Sofíia by Spanish royal order, replacing the Spanish Museum of Contemporary Arts. The Reina Sofia¡¯s collection gathers works from the late 19th century and includes some of the works by Picasso (Guernica), Salvador Dalíi and Joan Miró among others. Plaza Santa Isabel, 52. Metro Atocha (Line 1) Mon-Sat 10.00am to 9.00pm. Sundays 10.00am to 2.30pm. Tuesday Closed. Cost: 3.01€ ( 50% off when presenting your sudent¡¯s card. Free entrance on Saturdays and Sundays from 2.30pm.
Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas: Sin lugar a dudas el escenario mí¢s representativo de la escena taurina madrileña. En ella se dan cita las personalidades y los mejores eventos de í¦ste arte tíipicamente español. Calle Alcalí¢ 237. Metro Las Ventas (Líinea 2). Precios temporada 2005: 4.50€ - 95.00 € Visitas guiadas: 5.00€ - 10.00€
Parque del Retiro: Undoubtedly the most important and famous park in Madrid, it was designed for Felipe IV at the beginning of the 17th century, this urban forest continues to attract madrileños and visitors as a social meeting point throughout the year.Calle Alcalí¢ (Int. Alfonso XII) Metro Retiro (Líinea 2). Open to the public. Sabatini Gardens: The gardens of the Royal Palace (Jardines de Sabatin & Campo del Moro) were open to the general public by King Juan Carlos I in 1978. These gardens were not designed by Sabatini himself (obviously not since they were constructed in 1933 and Sabatini lived in the mid 18th century) but instead were laid out in the exact location of the now non existent Royal Stables designed by Sabatini in the late 18th century. Calle Bailí¦n s/n. Metro Plaza de España (Líinea 2 y 3) y Metro ópera (Líinea 2)
Puerta del Sol: Puerta del Sol was one of the eastern gates in the city walls built around 1440. At this late date, the walls weren't built to defend against attacks, but instead to control people and merchandise entering the city, mainly for taxation but also to decrease the possibilities of plague. Today "Sol" is a bustling square, filled with cars, buses,people and more people. The pedestrian shopping streets on the north side are usually jammed packed in the afternoons. It is also where the Kilometer "0" marker is, from which the six radial highways in Spain count their distances. Puerta del Sol. Metro Sol (Líinea 1, Líinea 2 y Líinea 3)
El Rastro: Madrid¡¯s celebrated flea market stablished in the middle ages, has its hub in the Plaza of Cascorro and sprawls downhill towards the Real Manzanares. Madrileños come in search of a bargain from the stalls which sell a huge range of wares- anything from new furniture to second hand clothes. The wide range of goods and the lively crowds in El Rastro make it an ideal way to spend a Sunday morning.Open on Sundays and holidays from 9.00am to 3.00 pm.Calle Ribera de Curtidores. Metro La Latina (Líinea 5)
Puerta de Alcalí¢: The Puerta de Alcalí¢ was originally constructed in 1599 to welcome doña Margarita de Austria (wife of King Felipe III) to Madrid.On December 9th, 1759 King Carlos III entered the city through the gate but was not very pleased with it and felt it was not worthy of such a noble entrance. In 1764 Carlos III ordered the gate to be torn down and decided to construct a new gate to serve as the entrance to Madrid from the "Camino de Aragón" ("Road to Aragón"). The Puerta de Alcalí¢ that we know today was completed in 1769 and it quickly became one of the most important symbols of Madrid. Metro Retiro (Líinea 2)
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