DK Travel : Madrid : History & Culture

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Museo Romántico

This unusual but evocative museum, as its name suggests, recreates the Madrid of the Romantic era (c.1820–60), with rooms furnished and decorated in the style of the period. The real attraction, however, lies in the ephemera: fans, figurines, dolls, old photograph albums, cigar cases, visiting cards and the like, which all help to summarize the era. Among the paintings is a magnificent Goya in the chapel and a portrait of the Marqués de Vega-Inclán, whose personal possessions form the basis of the collection. By common consent, the archetypal Spanish Romantic was Mariano José de Larra, a journalist with a caustic pen, who shot himself in 1837 after his lover ran off with another man. The offending pistol is one of the museum’s prized exhibits.
Museo Sorolla

This museum is devoted to the Valencian artist Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863–1923) who spent the last 13 years of his life here. Some rooms have been left as they were in his lifetime, while others are used to hang his work. Dubbed “the Spanish Impressionist”, his subject matter ranges from Spanish folk types to landscapes, but Sorolla is at his most appealing when evoking the sea. Don’t leave without seeing the Andalusian-style garden.
Museo Thyssen Bornemisza

What began as a private collection is now a superb public museum of some of the best European art from the past 700 years (see Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza).
Navacerrada

At 1,860 m (6,100 ft) Navacerrada is the gateway to the Sierra de Guadarrama. Ski enthusiasts head straight for the Navacerrada Pass (Puerto de Navacerrada), but the town itself should not be overlooked. Apart from the parish church, which has an impressive 15th-century tower, and the 16th-century Church of the Nativity, the craft shops are worth a browse. Cafés abound on Plaza Mayor and there are hiking and cycling trails in the surrounding forests.
New Capital

In 1561 Felipe II took the decision to make Madrid his new capital (previously Valladolid had been preferred). The central location and proximity to other royal residences were determining factors. Madrid was still a small, squalid town of 9,000 inhabitants – one of the king’s first decisions was to transform the old marketplace outside the walls into a public square, now Plaza Mayor.
Nuevo Baztán

This settlement south of Alcalá de Henares was the brainchild of an 18th-century nobleman from Navarre, Juan de Goyeneche. Goyeneche built the estate so that he could supervise his various industrial enterprises, among the most advanced of the day. The Baroque palace, the domed church of St Francis Xavier and the workers’ houses, designed by José de Churriguera, are the main attractions.
Ouka-Lele

Madrid-born photographer Ouka-Lele (real name Bárbara Allende) got her big break in 1984 when her work was shown at the Moriarty Gallery. She is now one of Spain’s most famous photographers.
Ouka-Lele

The photographer staged her first show at the Moriarty Gallery in 1984.
Palacio Longoría

The finest example of Art Nouveau architecture in Madrid was created for the banker Javier González Longoría in 1902. The architect was José Grases Riera, a disciple of Antoni Gaudí. Magnificently restored in the 1990s, the walls, windows and balconies are covered with luxuriant decoration suggesting plants, flowers and tree roots (see Palacio Longoría).
Palacio Real

Spain’s magnificent Royal Palace dominates the landscape in this part of the city, its sparkling, colonnaded façade looking out on to the lush grounds of the Campo del Moro (see Palacio Real).