On this page
you can find all you need to know about monuments in Madrid.
A comprehensive list of places to see in Madrid, in chronological order.
Please click on any
thumbnail photo for a larger view.
IX Century
The Madrid city walls
Cuesta
de la Vega, s/n.
Here
we can see the remains of the old Arab walls that surrounded the settlement of Magerit.
The first enclosure shows Islamic remains from the 9th and 10th centuries, while the
second enclosure is Christian and dates from the 12th and 13th centuries.
Click for more
info...
XV Century
Casa
and Torre de los Lujanes
Plaza de la Villa, s/n
The Torre de los Lujanes is the oldest
construction in this plaza, dating from the early 15th century. The mudejan style tower
and two portals are what remains of the former palace which was used to keep captive
Francis I of France after the Battle of Pavia in Italy in 1525. The house was renovated in
1910.
More info here...
The
Church of San Nicolás de los Servitas
Plaza
San Nicolás, 1
This
15th century church has a central gothic apse and a 12th century mudejan style tower.
More info here...
The
Church of San Pedro el Grande
Calle
Nuncio, 14
The
church dates from the 15th century, but the mudejan tower is a century older. The interior
of the church was renovated in the 18th century.
More info
here...
XVI
Century
La
Capilla del Obispo
Plaza
de la Paja, 9
Called
literally, the Bishop's Chapel, this is Madrid's only gothic temple, built with the
parochial Church of San Andrés in 1535. The altarpiece and main portal are from the
renaissance period.
More
info here...
Casa
de Cisneros
Plaza
de la Villa, 4
Originally a plateresque palace constructed
in 1537 for the Cardinal Cisneros, this marvellous building was recently restored by Luis
Bellido and today houses various Town Hall departments, although Madrid's
Ayuntamiento now has its headquarters in the Palacio de Comunicaciones in
Plaza Cibeles. The
previous Town Hall building (Casa de la Villa) is joined to
this building by an interior passageway forming a bridge.
More info
here ...
Casa
de la Panadería
Plaza
Mayor, 27
Named after the bakery it replaced, the
construction of this building and its colourful facade of frescos was initiated in 1590,
although it was changed in 1617 and restored in 1790 after a major fire in the plaza.
More info
here...
Casa
de las Siete Chimeneas
Plaza
del Rey, 1
Called
literally the House of the Seven Chimneys, this old palace was built in 1577, although it
has suffered numerous extensions and other changes. The Marques of Esquilache was living
here when the popular rising of the same name started.
Click for
more info...
The
Cloisters of San Jerónimo el Real
Calle
Moreto, 4
The
Catholic Kings (Isabel & Fernando) ordered this church built in the 15th century. It
was practically destroyed during the War of Independence and restored by order of Isabel
II.
Monasterio
de las Descalzas Reales
Plaza
Descalzas Reales, 1
This
monastery has a plateresque façade and was built between 1559 and 1564. It possesses a
magnificent renaissance stairway and an important art collection.
Puente
de Segovia
Calle
Segovia, s/n.
This
bridge was built in 1582 and is formed by 9 half-point arches and great blocks of stone
and granite.
XVII
Century
Casa
de la Villa
Plaza
de la Villa, 5
This Town Hall building was designed by Juan
Gómez de Mora in 1640, although other architects such as José de Villarreal, Teodoro
Ardemans, Juan de Villanueva and Luis Bellido have also worked on its construction,
adding, for example, shields, a neoclassic column and the baroque portal. The
façade in Calle Mayor was terminated in 1787.
More info...
Convento
de las Trinitarias Descalzas
Calle
Lope de Vega, 18
This
convent was built between 1673 and 1688 in a very austere style.
Church
of San Antonio de los Alemanes
Corredera
Baja de San Pablo, 18
Built
between 1624 and 1633, in an elliptic form, it possesses important frescos representing
scenes from the life of St. Anthony.
Church
of San Ginés
Calle
Arenal, 13
This
church's current structure is due to the the construction work and later renovation of
1645. The dome and naves were further reformed in the 18th century after being destroyed
in a fire. More info...
Church
of San Isidro el Real
Calle
Toledo, 37 & 39
Work
on this church began in 1622 and lasted until 1661. It was restored in the years 1767 -
1769. This church served as Madrid's cathedral for many years up until the inauguration of
the Almudena Cathedral.
Palacio
de Abrantes
Calle
Mayor, 86
Built
in 1653, this palace was reformed in 1844 to the original style, after being acquired by
the Duke of Abrantes. More info...
Palacio
de Santa Cruz
Plaza
de la Provincia, 1
Built
between 1629 and 1643, this palace originally served as a prison. The building was
extended in 1940 and currently houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de
Asuntos Exteriores). More info...
Palacio
de Uceda
Calle
Mayor, 79
This
mansion is typical of Spanish aristocracy houses of the 17th and 18th century. It was constructed
between the years of 1612 and 1618. More info...
Plaza
Mayor
This majestic square was originally planned
by Felipe II and his architect Juan de Herrera, but was inaugurated in1 620 during Felipe III's reign, whose statue sits proud in the very centre of the square. Juan Gómez de Mora
gave it its rectangular form, and after it had suffered three fires Juan de Villanova
completed the work in 1853 by joining the four sides. The square has been called Plaza
Mayor since the 15th century, but was built on the site of the old Plaza del Arrabal and
served as a market square until the late 19th century. (Also see our main
Plaza
Mayor page).
Real
Monasterio de la Encarnación
Plaza
de la Encarnación, s/n
This
monastery is the work of Juan Gómez de la Mora and was built between 1611 and 1616. The
original form of the construction has given name to this architectural style -
"Madrileño baroque". The interior was renovated over a 12 year period starting
in 1755 and contains several paintings and sculptures as well as exceptional works in
precious metals.
XVIII
Century
Basílica
de San Francisco el Grande
Plaza
San Francisco el Grande, s/n
Built
between 1761 and 1768, it possesses a great dome of 33 metres diameter and contains 6 side
chapels apart from the main one. It has a neo-classical façade and maintains an important
art collection with works by Goya, Claudio Coello and Zurburán amongst others.
More info...
Basílica
de San Miguel
Calle
San Justo, 4
Its
façade is divided in two and shows several religious representations. It was built
between 1739 and 1746.
Cámara
de Comercio e Industria
Calle
Huertas, 13
The
Chamber of Commerce was originally the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Santoña. It
was built in 1734 and restored in 1876.
Cuartel
del Conde Duque
Calle
Conde Duque, 9
Built
as an army barracks between 1714 and 1720, this building has a splendid baroque portal. In
the present day its patio is often used for open air concerts.
More...
Ermita
de la Virgen del Puerto
Paseo
Virgen del Puerto, s/n
This
small church was one of the first works by Pedro de Ribera and was built in 1718.
More...
Ermita
de San Antonio de la Florida
Glorieta
San Antonio de la Florida, 3
Built
between 1792 and 1798 in neo-classic style and in the shape of a Greek cross with dome.
Inside, you can find some magnificent Goya frescos.
Fuente
de Cibeles
Plaza
Cibeles, s/n
This statue was originally placed to one
side of the square and is the work of Ventura Rodríguez in 1781. It has been changed
several times since the original work and represents the Goddess of fertility, earth and
harvests on a lion-pulled chariot. More...
Fuente
de Neptuno
Plaza
Cánovas del Castillo, s/n
This
statue is the work of Juan de Mena based on drawings by Ventura Rodríguez. It represents
Neptune on a shell-shaped chariot pulled by sea-horses.
More info
here...
Ministerio
de Hacienda
Calla
Alcalá, 11
This
neo-classical building was constructed in 1769 and has a Romanesque façade and splendid
stairway. It currently houses the Ministry of Economy.
Palacio
de Buenavista
Plaza
Cibeles, s/n
Built
in 1777 and extended in 1780, this mansion is formed by two galleries around a central
patio.
Palacio
de la Comunidad de Madrid
Plaza
Puerta del Sol, 7
Also
known as the "Casa de Correos", the original headquarters of the Post Office, it
was built between 1766 and 1768. Now the head quarters of the Community of Madrid's
Autonomous Government, outside of which is a stone slab on the pavement marking Kilometre
Zero - the official starting point for Spain's 6 National Roads. More...
Palacio
Real
Calle
Bailén, s/n
Also see our main Royal Palace page. The
Royal Palace was built on the site of the old Alcázar, the moorish castle destroyed by
fire in 1734. Juan Bautista Sacchetti initiated the project in 1737 and Francisco Sabatini
and Ventura Rodríguez terminated the works. It is surrounded by the beautiful Sabatini
and Campo del Moro parks. The palace itself contains furniture, tapestries, paintings and
ceramics as well as other important works of art and frescos by Tiépolo.
Take a guided tour of the Royal Palace.
Puente
de Toledo
Glorieta
Marqués de Vadillo, s/n
The
construction of this baroque style bridge was ordered by Felipe V and carried out between
1719 and 1724 by Pedro de Ribera. The round turret style pillars give the impression of a
fortress.
Puerto
de Alcalá
Plaza
de la Independencia, s/n
Built
in 1778 to commemorate Carlos III's arrival in Madrid, the construction project was
undertaken by Sabatini. This bridge is built of granite and limestone. More...
Real
Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
Calle
Alcalá, 13
To
be found inside the baroque Goyeneche palace, built by Churrigera in 1724 and renovated in
1773 by Villanueva in neo-classic style.
More info...
Salesas
Reales
Calle
Bárbara de Braganza, 1
This
temple and convent was originally intended as a pantheon for Fernando VI and Bárbara of
Braganza. Of baroque style in its structure and rococo en its decoration.
XIX
Century
Banco de España
Calle
Alcalá, 50
The
Bank of Spain was built between 1884 and 1891 on the site of the primitive Palacio de
Alcañices. It contains an important collection of paintings. More...
Banco
Hipotecario
This
palace was built between 1845 and 1858 as a residence for the Marques of Salamanca.
Biblioteca
Nacional & Museo Arqueológico Nacional
Calle Serrano, 13
The
National Library and Archaeology Museum are housed in this neo-classic building whose
construction work was initiated in 1866, but then delayed until restarting in 1874. The
original construction project was by Francisco Jareño y Alarcóm.
More info...
Casón
del Buen Retiro
Calle
Alfonso XII, 28
This
building was originally constructed as a dance hall and reformed in 1981 to house
Picasso's Guernica (now in the
Reina Sofia museum).
More
info...
Catedral
de Santa María la Real de la Almudena
Calle
Mayor, 92
Madrid's cathedral was designed in 1879 by
the Marques of Cubas in neo-gothic style and has a Romanesque crypt. The construction work
was delayed until renewed in 1946 by the architects Carlos Sidro and Fernando Chueca
Goitia in a neo-baroque style that covered the already built neo-gothic part. The work was
finally terminated in 1993 and the Cathedral was consecrated by Pope John Paul II on the
15th June, 1993.
Estación
de Atocha
Paseo
Reina Cristina, s/n
This
emblematic train station was Madrid's first and was inaugurated in 1851 by Queen Isabel
II. Destroyed later by fire, the new station was opened in 1892 and is formed by a large
steel curved building, closed off by lead-lined glass.
Palacio
de Cristal
Paseo
Duque de Fernán Nuñez, s/n - Retiro Park
The
Crystal Palace in the Retiro was built, naturally, of glass and steel in 1887 to hold the
Philippines
Exhibition, a show of exotic plants. More info...
Palacio
del Congreso de los Diputados
Calle
Fernanflor, 1
The
Houses of Parliament were built in 1843 following the style of a renaissance palace, to
which the large neo-classic portal was added later.
Palacio
de Linares
Paseo
Recoletos, 2
This
mansion, with its French influence, was built in 1872 and has been renovated recently by
Carlos Puente. It currently houses the Casa de América.
Palacio
de Senado
Plaza
Marina Española, 8
Built
in renaissance style in 1835, this building houses the Spanish Senate.
Palacio
de Velázquez
Paseo
Duque de Fernán Nuñez, s/n - Retiro Park
Originally
constructed to house a mining exhibition in 1883, the façade has an enormous porch with
classical elements and ceramic decorations.
Click for more info...
Palacio
de Villahermosa
Paseo
del Prado, 8
Antonio
López Aguado built this mansion in 1805. However, the building is far more famous now for
housing the Thyssen-Bornemisza art collection.
More info...
Plaza de Oriente
(in
front of the Royal Palace)
The construction work of this large square
between the Royal Palace and the Royal Theatre finalised in 1850. It has recently been
totally renovated, with expansive pedestrian areas.
More info
here...
Puerta
del Sol
This
most famous of squares is popularly known as "Spain's belly button". It owes its
current form to the major renovation work carried out between 1854 and 1860. See our
Puerta del Sol page for more details. Or click
here for hotels and apartments near the Puerta del Sol
Puerta
de Toledo
Glorieta
Puerta de Toledo, s/n
Built
in 1827 to commemorate the return of Fernando VII after the War of Independence. Of
neo-classic style, it possesses two smaller arches surrounding the great central
half-point arch.
Real
Academia Española de la Lengua
Calle
Felipe IV, 4
This
building, of neo Greek classic style, was built between 1891 and 1894 and houses the
official Spanish Language Academy. It has a splendid façade and porch.
Teatro
de la Zarzuela
Calle
Jovenallos, 4
The
Scala of Milan was used as a model for the construction of this theatre of popular Spanish
opera in 1856.
Teatro
Real
Plaza
Isabel II, s/n
The
Royal Theatre was constructed on the site of the old Caños del Peral Theatre. The work
began in 1818 and was completed in 1850. Throughout its existence, it has suffered many
renovations, the last of which was completed in 1997.
XX Century
Antiguo
Hospital de Jornaleros
Calle
Maudes, 17
This
old hospital was designed by Antonio Palacios and constructed between 1909 and 1918.
AZCA
This
is a large commercial complex located to one side of the Paseo de la Castellana in the
north of the city. Banks, shops and offices surround the impressive
Torre Picasso, a
150m tall white tower with 46 floors designed by the Japanese architect Minoru
Yamasaki.
Telefónica
Building
Calle
Fuencarral, 3
This
was the first tall building of any sort in Madrid and was completed in 1920 by Ignacio de
Cardena based on initial architectonic work by Lewis Weelk. The New York influence is
obvious.
Church
of San Miguel & San Benito
Calle
Alcalá, 83
Built
in 1902 by Francisco Arbós y Tremantí and inspired in Byzantine architecture, the most
notable aspect is its colourful façade.
Palacio
de Telecommunicaciones
Plaza
Cibeles, s/n
This
absolutely splendid building currently houses the main Post Office and was built by
Antonio Palacios at the beginning of the 20th century.
Puerta
de Europa
Plaza
de Castilla, s/n
Given
the popular name of the KIO towers, these twin towers at the north end of the Paseo de la
Castellana lean in to each other significantly marking the Madrid skyline. More...
Sociedad
General de Autores
Calle
Fernando VI, 4
The
well-known banker Longoria ordered this building constructed - its one of the best
examples of modernist style in Madrid, its façade decorated with floral motifs.
Templo
de Debod
Paseo
Pintor Rosales, s/n
Included
in this section, because it was erected in Madrid in the 1960's, otherwise it would have been
covered by the waters of the Aswan dam. However, the original structure was built in the
2nd century B.C. close to the island of Philae.
More
information...
Torre
España
Calle
Alcalde Sainz de Baranda, 92
Commonly
known as the "Piruli" or lollipop, this is a communication tower built in 1981.
220m tall, it is topped by a large radio and TV antennae.
Cuatro Torres Business Area España
Paseo de la Castellana
The four towers located in this area were actually built in the 21st
Century, and are currently Spain's tallest buildings.
More info...
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