The Iglesia de San Ginés stands out on Calle del Arenal with its tall, unadorned bell tower and a faded, rust-colored brick facade that feels miles away from the nearby commercial rush. This church holds one of the oldest records of…
Old Madrid Hapsburg Streets
This walk takes you through the stone-paved heart of Madrid to experience the architectural legacy left by the Hapsburg dynasty. We'll trace the city's rise from a medieval stronghold to the capital of a global empire, visiting historic plazas, hidden churches, and the magnificent Royal Palace.
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1. Church of Saint Genesius
2. Plaza Mayor
The Plaza Mayor is a massive, enclosed square defined by uniform red brick facades and two hundred and thirty-seven wrought-iron balconies. King Philip the Third ordered its construction in the early seventeenth century to create a grand…
3. Santa Cruz Palace, Madrid
The Santa Cruz Palace is marked by two dark, slender corner towers capped with steep slate spires that contrast sharply against the surrounding limestone facade. Originally built in the sixteen thirties as a public jail, the building held…
4. Colegiata de San Isidro
The Colegiata de San Isidro sits on the Calle de Toledo with a stone facade marked by two high, slender towers topped with slate spires. Jesuit architects built this church in the seventeenth century to hold the remains of Saint Isidore,…
5. Pontifical Basilica of Saint Michael
The convex, undulating facade of the Basilica of Saint Michael curves inward toward the street, a rare example of Italian baroque design in the heart of Madrid. King Philip the Fifth commissioned this church in the early seventeen hundreds…
6. Plaza de la Villa
Three mismatched buildings define Plaza de la Villa, ranging from the medieval Casa de los Lujanes to the seventeenth century Casa de la Villa. The Casa de los Lujanes stands out with its pointed gothic doorway and a weathered stone tower…
7. Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid wears a stark white limestone facade that spans over one hundred and thirty thousand square meters. It sits on the site of a ninth century fortress built by the emir of Cordoba, which burned to the ground on…
8. Plaza de Oriente
The Plaza de Oriente features a curved facade of stone buildings encircling a formal garden, centered on a bronze equestrian statue of King Philip the Fourth. King Joseph Bonaparte ordered its construction in eighteen eleven to provide a…