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The movida spawned a new generation of fashion designers who were all to become international names. Jesús del Pozo, Adolfo Domínguez and Agatha Ruíz de la Prada all flouted the fashion conventions of the day.

When in Madrid the king stayed in the Alcázar or with the monks of San Jerónimo monastery.

Spain’s greatest playwright was banned from Madrid for eight years after libelling the father of his former lover.

Statues around the city that once honoured the former dictator have all been removed.

One of Spain’s most vital cultural institutions was founded in 1955 by the banker Juan March Ordinas, to promote contemporary Spanish art. Madrid shares the permanent collection, especially strong on abstract artists of the 1950s such as Tàpies, Sempere, Saura, and Millares, with other branches of the foundation in Cuenca and Palma de Mallorca, but the foundation’s main attraction is its outstanding temporary exhibitions (see Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando).

Fans of modern art will enjoy the temporary exhibitions here, which are world-class. The foundation also sponsors lunch-time chamber concerts and recitals on weekdays, usually starting around noon (monthly programme available from the centre). While you’re here, take a look at some of the modern sculptures in the forecourt such as Meeting place (1975) by Eduardo Chillida (see Fundación Juan March).

By the time the Plaza Mayor was completed (1619) Madrid’s population had swollen to around 85,000. Courtiers, noblemen, clerics, and criminals descended on the city, leading to such overcrowding that Felipe IV ordered the building of a new perimeter wall. Madrid provided rich material for the playwrights of Spain’s Golden Age including Lope de Vega and Tirso de Molina.

One of the most courageous commanders defending Madrid during the Civil War.

The Ritz first opened its doors in 1910 and the inauguration was attended by King Alfonso XIII, who had backed the project after complaining of the lack of quality accommodation in his capital. French architect Charles Mewes’ Neo-Classical building is surprisingly understated from the outside, but the interior is predictably opulent. Outstanding features include handwoven carpets from the Royal Tapestry factory and the belle époque dining room. Stop for a drink on the terrace.