The arrival
of the Bourbons marked a new era in the city. The burning of the Alcazar of
Madrid served as an excuse for the first Bourbon, Philip V of Spain to build a
palace on its foundations, a palace more in line with the French taste. Filippo
Juvarra, an architect specializing in the construction of royal palaces, was
chosen to design the new palace. His design was inspired by Bernini's design
rejected for the Louvre Palace in Paris. Juvarra died before the work began,
and the project was substantially modified by his disciple Giovainni Battista
Sacchetti. Philip V tried to complete the vision of urbanization of Madrid
initiated by King Philip II, which included a bridge spanning a large ravine,
linking The Royal Alcázar to the southern part of town. Philip V would never
see the bridge even begin and neither would several of his successors. It
wasn't built until the 19th century and is called the Segovia Viaduct. Other buildings of the time were the St. Michael's Basilica and the Church of Santa Bárbara.
Segovia Viaduct
The Segovia
Viaduct is a viaduct in the La Latina neighborhood in Madrid, Spain. Throughout
the centuries the area has been a major crossroad. The bridge's main function
has been to facilitate access between the town and the Royal Palace of Madrid.
A later version was built in 1934 to replace the previous iron one erected in
1874. The present one is the result of many restorations in order for its
structure to accommodate the growing traffic demand. It spans Segovia Street, 25
meters below, from which it takes its name, although it is popularly known as
"El Viaducto". Throughout its history, it had been a common site for
suicide in Madrid until 1998.
Segovia
Street lies in the basin at least partially formed by the old San Pedro Creek.
In the Middle Ages, this ravine was one of the most important routes of entry
into Madrid and connected the town with the old road to Segovia, which started
on the other side of the Manzanares River. The Bridge of Segovia (1582-1584)
succeeded in crossing the Manzanares, attributed to the architect Juan de
Herrera, which replaced the original, built in the first half of the fourteenth
century by Alfonso XI of Castile. Abundant in fresh water, the area in the wash
of the basin of San Pedro enjoyed many orchards and was called El Pozacho,
which was named after a waterwheel or similar hydraulic device which may have
existed there.[2] In an illustration by Anton van den Wyngaerde in 1562, the
grade of the ravine is clearly seen.
Bailén
Street ended abruptly at the edge of this ravine, forcing pedestrians to make
the difficult descent and ascent to reach the area of the Royal Alcázar of
Madrid. Access to and from what would become Segovia Street was gained by
intricate arteries through various paths traversing the slopes.
Upon
establishing the Royal Court in Madrid in 1561, King Philip II began to promote
urban expansion. This conceptualization required an extension of Bailén Street
crossing above and bridging the gap perpendicularly over this ravine, thus
joining the Royal Palace area with Vistillas to the south and beyond.
Only a
small part of the project to extend Bailén materialized until the Bourbons.
Some houses and establishments were demolished, including the original
cathedral of Madrid, in order to level the field, creating a gateway to the
city. This street was called Calle Real Nueva, and eventually became modern
Segovia Street. After two shelved attempts, the viaduct was finally completed
in 1874, undergoing two complete reconstructions since then.
Basilica of St. Michael
s a baroque
Roman Catholic church and minor basilica in central Madrid, Spain. It is
located in San Justo Street, adjacent to the Archbishop's Palace. It is the
church of the Apostolic Nunciature to the
Kingdom of Spain of the Holy See
and is now administrated by the priests of Opus
Dei. Among the wood sculptures housed in the interior is the "Cristo
de la Fe y del Perdón", by Luis Salvador Carmona.
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy
Cross and Opus Dei (Latin: Praelatura Sanctae Crucis et Operis Dei), is an
institution of the Roman Catholic Church which teaches that everyone is called
to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its
membership are lay people; the remainder are secular priests under the
governance of a prelate elected by specific members and appointed by the Pope.
Opus Dei is Latin for "Work of God"; hence the organization is often
referred to by members and supporters as the Work.
Opus Dei
was founded in Spain in 1928 by Catholic saint and priest Josemaría Escrivá and
was given final Catholic Church approval in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. About 70% of
Opus Dei members live in their private homes, leading traditional Catholic
family lives with secular careers, while the other 30% are celibate, of whom
the majority live in Opus Dei centers. Aside from their personal charity and
social work, Opus Dei members organize training in Catholic spirituality
applied to daily life; members are involved in running universities, university
residences, schools, publishing houses, hospitals, and technical and
agricultural training centers.
A central
feature of Opus Dei's theology is its focus on the lives of the ordinary
Catholics who are neither priests nor monks. Opus Dei emphasizes the "universal
call to holiness": the belief that everyone should aspire to be a saint,
as per Jesus' commandment to "Love God with all your heart" (Matthew
22:37) and "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew
5:48) Opus Dei also teaches that sanctity is within the reach of everyone, not
just a few special individuals, given Jesus' teaching that his demands are
"easy" and "light," as his divine assistance is assured.
Church
of Santa Barbara
is a
Catholic church, built in Neoclassic style, in central Madrid. It is one of a
number of Spanish churches dedicated to St Barbara.
The
exterior is noted for the statues of St. Francis de Sales and St Jeanne de
Chantal, founders of the Order, sculpted by Alfonso Giraldo Vergaz. In the
interior, are the burial tombs of Ferdinand VI and his wife. These were
commissioned by Charles III of Spain and completed by the architect Francisco
Sabatini and the sculptor Francisco Gutiérrez. In addition, it holds the tomb
of the general Leopoldo O´Donnell, first duke of Tetuán, work of Jeronimo
Suñol.
***
King
Charles III of Spain was more interested in beautifying the city. He was an
enlightened monarch and endeavored to convert Madrid into one of the great
European capitals.[citation needed] He pushed forward the construction of the
Prado Museum (designed by Juan de Villanueva). The building was originally
intended to serve as a Natural Science Museum. Charles III was also responsible
for design of the Puerta de Alcalá, the Royal Observatory (Juan de Villanueva),
the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande (Francesco
Sabatini), the Casa de Correos in Puerta del Sol, the Real Casa de la Aduana
(Francesco Sabatini) and the General Hospital by Sabatini (now houses the Reina
Sofia Museum and Royal Conservatory of Music). The Paseo del Prado, surrounded
by gardens and decorated with neoclassical statues inspired by mythological
gods, is an example of urban planning. The Duke of Berwick ordered Ventura
Rodríguez the construction of the Liria Palace.
Puerta de Alcalá
is a
Neo-classical monument in the Plaza de la Independencia in Madrid, Spain. It is
regarded as the first modern post-Roman triumphal arch built in Europe, older
than the similar monuments Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Brandenburg Gate in
Berlin.
It was a
gate of the former Walls of Philip IV. It stands near the city center and
several meters away from the main entrance to the Parque del Buen Retiro. The
square is bisected by Alcalá Street, although the street does not cross through
the monument, and it is the origin of the Alfonso XII, Serrano and Olózaga
streets. Its name originates from the old path from Madrid to the nearby town
of Alcalá de Henares.
Madrid in
the late 18th century still looked like a somewhat drab borough(однообразный,
скучный город), surrounded by medieval walls. Around the year 1774, king
Charles III commissioned Francesco Sabatini to construct a monumental gate in
the city wall through which an expanded road to the city of Alcalá was to pass,
replacing an older, smaller, gate that stood nearby. It was inaugurated in
1778.
Royal Observatory of Madrid
The
observatory was designed by Juan de Villanueva, architect to Charles III of
Spain, It represents one of the highlights of Spanish neoclassical
architecture. Its domed lantern (фонарь) was conceived as a classical circular temple.
Shortly
after construction, the observatory was equipped with a 25-foot reflecting
telescope by William Herschel. The instrument was dismantled in the Peninsular
War and only partially survived. It has been reconstructed in recent
years.
Madrid is
affected by light pollution and is not a good location for optical astronomy.
Conditions are much better in other parts of Spanish territory, notably the
Canary Islands, the second-best location for optical and infrared astronomy in
the Northern Hemisphere, after Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii.
Royal
Basilica of San Francisco el Grande
The
basilica was designed in a Neoclassic style in the second half of the 18th
century, based on a design by Francisco Cabezas, developed by Antonio Pló, and
completed by Francesco Sabatini. The church contains paintings by Zurbarán and
Francisco Goya. The temple once functioned as the National pantheon and
enshrined the remains of famous artists and politicians.
Puerta del Sol
The Puerta
del Sol originated as one of the gates in the city wall that surrounded Madrid
in the 15th century. Outside the wall, medieval suburbs began to grow around
the Christian Wall of the 12th century. The name of the gate came from the
rising sun which decorated the entry, since the gate was oriented to the east.
Between the
17th and 19th centuries, the area was an important meeting place: as the goal
for the couriers coming from abroad and other parts of Spain to the Post
Office, it was visited by those eager for the latest news. The stairs to the
Saint Philip church at the square were known as the Gradas de San Felipe, and
were among the most prolific mentideros de la Corte (this Spanish idiom sounds
as "lie-spreaders of the Court", but it is related with the verb
mentar, "to say about someone", not mentir, "to lie", so it
is more appropriately translated as "places of the City where people
gossip").
The House
of the Post Office was built by French architect Jacques Marquet between 1766
and 1768. The building was the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior and
State Security during the Francisco Franco dictatorship. It is currently the
seat of the Presidency of the Madrid Community.
This is the
centre (Km 0) of the radial network of Spanish roads. The kilómetro cero is a
plaque on the ground directly north of the Post Office serving as the symbolic
center of Spain. In addition to signalling the basis of numbering in the
Spanish road system, the symbolic nature of the plaza ensures that it is the
site of many rallies and protests, particularly against violence and war. Sol
has seen protests against the terrorism perpetrated the March 11th attacks on
commuter trains, and Spain's involvement in the Iraq War.
The square
also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the
Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year. The New Year's celebration has
been broadcast live on national television since 31 December 1962. The Twelve
Grapes (Sp. Las doce uvas de la suerte, "The twelve grapes of luck")
is a Spanish tradition that dates back from at least 1895[2] but became
established in 1909. In December of that year, some alicantese vine growers
popularized this custom to better sell huge amounts of grapes from an excellent
harvest.
The tradition consists of eating a grape with
each bell strike at midnight of December 31. According to the tradition, that leads
to a year of prosperity. In some areas, it is believed that the tradition wards
away witches and general evil, although this "magic" is treated like
an old heritage, and in modern days it's viewed as a cultural tradition to
welcome the new year.
Real Casa de la
Aduana
The Real
Casa de la Aduana (Spanish: Real Casa de la Aduana means royal customs house)
is the headquarters of Spain's Ministry of Economy, Industry and
Competitiveness and Ministry of the Treasury and Public Function. It is located
on Madrid's longest street, the Calle de Alcalá. The eighteenth-century
building has been modified over the years.
Paseo del Prado
is one of
the main boulevards and the oldest historical urban in Madrid. The Paseo del
Prado boulevard includes several monuments and enclosures that are of
historical and artistic interest, erected in the eighteenth century for the
Hall of Prado urban project. Numerous ornamental and landscaping grounds were
constructed for this project. The highlights of this project include the
Villanueva Building, headquarters of the Prado Museum, the Royal Botanical
Gardens and the sculptural water fountains of Neptune, Cibeles and Apollo.
A
controversial project of thorough reform and revitalization of the Paseo del
Prado and the Paseo de Recoletos, known as Plan
Especial Recoletos-Prado and authored by an international team of
architects led by Álvaro Siza, was approved by the city council on 23 June
2005, but as of December 2010 its environmental impact study is still underway
and reconstruction has not been initiated.
Liria Palace
is a
neoclassical palace in Madrid and the Madrid residence of the Dukes of Alba.
Built
around 1770 to a design by the architect Ventura Rodríguez, it was commissioned
by James Fitz-James Stuart, 3rd Duke of Berwick, who was also the 3rd Duke of
Liria (hence the name of the palace). In the early 19th century it passed to
the inheritance of the House of Alba. Eugénie de Montijo, last empress consort
of the French, died here in exile in 1920.
Built
around 1770 to a design by the architect Ventura Rodríguez, it was commissioned
by James Fitz-James Stuart, 3rd Duke of Berwick, who was also the 3rd Duke of
Liria (hence the name of the palace). In the early 19th century it passed to
the inheritance of the House of Alba. Eugénie de Montijo, last empress consort
of the French, died here in exile in 1920.
All but the
facades were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War.[1] It was subsequently
rebuilt by Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba and his daughter
Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba who was head of the House of
Alba from 1955 to 2014. The British architect Edwin Lutyens had been
commissioned by the 17th Duke to provide designs for the interior, and the
reconstruction, although it took place after the architect´s death, made use of
them.
The palace
contains a remarkable private collection of European art. It is necessary to
apply to visit the Liria Palace to see its art collection in situ, a
process which normally involves being placed on a waiting list.
***
Subsequently,
the Peninsular War, the loss of colonies in the Americas, and the continuing
coups (гос. перевороты) prevented the city from developing interesting
architecture (Royal Theatre,the National Library of Spain, the Palace of the
Senate and the Congress). In the slums (трущобы) of Madrid during this time, a kind of
substandard house was developed that today has a special historical charm: an
example is the corralas (House of Sombrerete), which currently still exist in
the neighborhood of Lavapiés.
House of Sombrerete
Teatro Real
Founded by King Ferdinand VII in 1818, and after thirty-two years of
planning and construction, a Royal Order on 7 May 1850 decreed the immediate
completion of the "Teatro de Oriente" and the building works were
finished within five months. The Opera House, located just in front of the
Palacio Real, the official residence of the Queen who ordered the construction
of the theatre, Isabel II, was finally inaugurated on 19 November 1850, with
Donizetti's La Favorite. In 1863, Giuseppe Verdi visited the theatre for the
Spanish premiere of his La Forza del Destino. In 1925, the Ballets Russes of
Diaghilev performed in the theatre with the presence of Nijinsky and
Stravinsky.
From 1867 it housed the Madrid Royal Conservatory until 1925 when a Royal
Order of 6 December called for eviction owing to the damage that the
construction of the Metro de Madrid had caused to the building. Despite its
closure, the government always contemplated the possibility of restoring it,
ordering numerous projects, such as the architect Urdanpilleta Flórez, who
raised a pharaonic remodeling of the building. However, financial difficulties
prevented the completion of these projects and led to a simple restoration,
sponsored by the Juan March Institute, and carried out first by the architect
Manuel Gonzalez Valcárcel, and later by architects Miguel Verdú Belmonte and
Francisco Rodriguez Partearroyo.
The theatre reopened in 1966 as a concert hall as well as the main
concert venue for the Spanish National Orchestra and the RTVE Symphony
Orchestra. The reopening was celebrated with a concert of the Spanish National
Orchestra conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and the Orfeón Donostiarra.
In 1969, the 14th Eurovision Song Contest was held at the theatre, featuring an
onstage metal sculpture created by surrealist Spanish artist Salvador Dalí.
Biblioteca Nacional de España
The library was founded by King Philip V in 1712 as the Palace Public
Library (Biblioteca Pública de Palacio). The Royal Letters Patent that he
granted, the predecessor of the current legal deposit requirement, made it
mandatory for printers to submit a copy of every book printed in Spain to the
library. In 1836, the library's status as Crown property was revoked and
ownership was transferred to the Ministry of Governance (Ministerio de la
Gobernación). At the same time, it was renamed the Biblioteca Nacional.
During the 19th century, confiscations, purchases and donations enabled
the Biblioteca Nacional to acquire the majority of the antique and valuable
books that it currently holds. During the Spanish Civil War close to 500,000
volumes were collected by the Confiscation Committee (Junta de Incautación) and
stored in the Biblioteca Nacional to safeguard works of art and books held
until then in religious establishments, palaces and private houses. During the
20th century numerous modifications were made to the building to adapt its
rooms and repositories to its constantly expanding collections.
The Madrid premises are shared with the National Archaeological Museum.
