Paris1972-Versailles2003

Back to monuments and Madrid has plenty to keep you busy for a year or more. So much beauty in architecture and history in addition to great ambiance. Let me tell you about an important monument that should be on your list of things to see while in my beloved Madrid. I will tell you a bit on the Church of San Andrés (St Andrews).

The Church of San Andrés is located in the Plaza de San Andrés, 1, in the central neighborhood of La Latina. It is one of the oldest parishes in the city. The Hermandad de las Tres Caídas or Brotherhood of the Three Falls is based in this temple.

Little can be said with certainty of the primitive church, existing already at the end of the 12C and built perhaps on a site previously occupied by the early Christian church of Islamic Madrid, since the jurisdiction of San Andrés extended by what was the former Mudejar neighborhood, later Moreria (mix moors Christians). This temple was very frequented by Saint Isidro Labrador (Patron Saint of Madrid!) and Santa Maria de la Cabeza (his wife), parishioners of the parish in which the Saint was buried. Next to him stood the house of his master Iván de Vargas, on which the palace of the Marquises de Paredes was then built, now rebuilt and converted into a municipally owned museum (see later post). In it was the well, protagonist of one of the saint’s miracles, and a small chapel in the place where it was said that San Isidro had lived. The current church occupies what was the Chapel of San Isidro and a section of the rebuilt in the 17C.

After the canonization of San Isidro in 1622, and seeing the modesty of the temple in which his remains were deposited, the possibility of building a new one or to attach a chapel that was worthy of the patron of Madrid until its completion in 1669 was considered. San Isidro, saint of doubtful chronology, was buried in the cemetery at the foot of the primitive church of San Andrés, until in 1212, growing his reputation for holiness, he was exhumed and visited by King Alfonso VIII, who seeing the body incorrupt he recognized in him the pastor who had guided him in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. For this reason the king himself would have built the famous wooden ark covered with leather with gothic paintings. In 1620 it was replaced by another of gold, silver and bronze, given by the guild of silversmiths. When the church was rebuilt in the mid-17C and changed its orientation, the primitive cemetery was under the presbytery, indicating the exact place where the patron of Madrid had been buried.

After the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767, the ark of San Isidro (replaced by an image of the Saint Isidro Carnicero) was transferred to what had been the church of the Imperial College, transformed into Collegiate Church of San Isidro, (see that post) and with it they took ten sculptures of holy laborers. It was set on fire in 1936 at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War (by Republicans troops), losing all its works of art and saving only the outside, except the image of the saint. Its interior was rebuilt between 1986-90. None of the works of art that were inside were preserved. It currently serves as the parish of San Andrés.

Tourist office of Madrid on Church San Andrés

And there you go another dandy to see huh! And the square is very quant and gorgeous architecture and history all around it as well as nice places for a drink or tapas! Enjoy the Plaza de San Andrés and the Church of San Andrés in my beloved Madrid!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

Back on the trail in my walks of my beloved Madrid. So much to see but we are lugging alone to see as much as possible with my 3 young men sons in tow! This is a nice combination that I group in this post.  I like to tell you about an all time favorite theater and an off the beaten path cultural local center right by Madrid Rio (more of this later).

Let me tell you a bit on the Teatro de La Latina theater and the Casa del Reloj cultural center!  In Madrid, of course!!!

The theater or Teatro de La Latina is located in the Plaza de la Cebada ,in the neighborhood of the Barrio de La Latina. It has been one of the most important stages for the representation of comedy and reviews in the history of the theater of Spain throughout the 20C. It owes its name to Beatriz Galindo, la Latina, a 15C Castilian writer.

A bit of brief history of the long one of this wonderful theater one of the few that I have attended over the previous years.

This Madrid theater of La Latina was created in the first decade of the 20C by the Juan Lafora Calatayud antique dealer, from a cinema built on the grounds of an old hospital. In the theater, baptized under the pseudonym of Beatriz Galindo, La Latina.

At the time of Luis Díez, (1947-62), the author and entrepreneur, carried his Great reviews company, Head of the La Latina Theater. In 1964, the shrewd magazine entrepreneur Matías Colsada, who had since 1956 the Apollo Theater of Barcelona, ​​rents the Madrid Theater La Latina. Undoubtedly, Colsada, is the one who fully exploits the room and the billboard of one of the most popular theaters in Madrid. Until in 1977 it had become an old hut about to disappear.!

Lina Morgan, who triumphed at the Barceló in Madrid, aware of the resounding disappearance of the Theater of her dreams, that of her triumphs, that of her beginnings and the one who saw her be born, decides, with the help of her brother José Luis to buy that hut that was far from the palace of the reviews of Colsada. First they rented it and then bought it. It wouldn’t be until 1983 when they acquired it. After its restoration in 1984 of the whole Theater, where Lina Morgan demanded the architect that in the dressing rooms there were bathrooms, showers and sofas to rest, Comedy companies enter. In 2005, Lina Morgan, owner of the theater, associated with producer José Luis Moreno, to exploit and turn the Teatro de La Latina around as the theater of Madrid par excellence. A contract that lasts two years and where they schedule a Zarzuelas cycle. in La Latina it was the concert Fall in love with me by Isabel Pantoja (great Spanish singer one of my favorites!), who during the 13 only performances absolutely filled the theater, although she had to suspend the last three.

Since 2007, Lina Morgan has once again directed the theater and the shows. Great actors have passed through the Teatro de La Latina theater: almost the entire Spanish Theater of the 20C and 21C!!!. In June 2010 the actress sold the theater to the company Focus-Penta S.L formed by the Catalan Focus group and the Madrileña Pentación shows.

Official Teatro de La Latina

Tourist office of Madrid on Teatro de La Latina

The so-called Casa del Reloj  (clock house) was formerly the Pavilion of Central Services of the Slaughterhouse and Municipal Market of Livestock of Madrid. It is located in the district of Arganzuela on Paseo de la Chopera 6 to 10. It is currently the Casa del Reloj Cultural Center, as well as the Municipal Board of the District of Arganzuela.

The former slaughterhouse and cattle market was built between 1908 and 1928, commissioned by the City Council. In 1982, the headquarters of the Municipal Board of Arganzuela were transferred to La Casa del Reloj. Their dependencies are enabled to provide services for a nursing home. There are cultural events here of local interest in 2 exhibition halls Auditorium with capacity of 265 persons,  15 classrooms and the Nave de Terneras (big hall for exhibitions in the old calves warehouse) . You get here on Metro Legazpi  lines 3, and 6 and  Bus lines  62, 6, 78, and 148. We arrive walking along Madrid Rio (more later).

Tourist office of Madrid on the Casa del Reloj

And there you go two wonderful cultural centers to visit and soak the culture of my Madrid, Spain. Especially I must say you should not missed a show at the Teatro de La Latina! In Madrid of course!!!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

And moving right along on my sublime visit to my beloved Madrid and a supercharge charge for the rest of the year I come to you back with some artsy places of old that still looks good. I will go brief because the idea is for you to see them and enjoy them as much as my family has over the years. Let me tell you a bit on the Cines Callao, Cine Capitol,  and the Theater Alcazar !

The Cines Callao cinema is located in the Plaza del Callao, built in 1926. It is next to the Carrión building, separated from it by the Calle Jacometrezo street. The building was inaugurated as a movie theater on December 11, 1926, broadcasting the movie Luis Candelas, the bandit of Madrid. Together with the cinemas of the Palacio de la Prensa they form Callao City Lights. These cinemas host numerous premieres, and other events.

The building presents academic tendencies with a certain Spanish neo-baroque aftertaste and in its interior decoration Viennese and Art Deco suggestions. Its terrace is designed to broadcast outdoor film sessions. The basement of the building was thought to house a Café or Cabaret, although later it was adapted to the old Xenon nightclub, now closed.

Currently two large digital screens hide elements of its facades, such as three large windows and some oculus. Some sculptures and other original decorative elements, which can be seen in old photographs, have also disappeared. Its corner is crowned by a tower as a lighthouse. On June 13, 1929, the first sound and spoken film released in Spain was screened in this cinema: The jazz singer.

Official Cines Callao

The Cine Capitol cinema is a movie theater located on Gran Vía nº 41. Located in the Carrión building (sometimes called the Capitol building). It was inaugurated on December 2, 1933.

Inside, the marble elements stood out. Outside, the marble, the polished granite, the blue stone of Murcia are combined at the entrance. During the Spanish Civil War, Soviet films were distributed, the first Russian film distributed by Film Popular was The Sailors of Kronstadt (1936) by Russian director Yefim Dzigan, which was released in the rooms of the Capitol cinema on October 18, 1936.

Official Cine Capitol Gran Via

The  Teatro Alcazar theater (formerly called Palacio de los Recreos or recreation palace and Teatro Alkázar theater) is a theater hall on Calle de Alcalá 20 inaugurated in 1925, on the ruins of the old Trianón Palace.

The luxurious theater was inaugurated on January 27, 1925 with the performances of the operetta Madame Pompadour of Leo Fall and capacity for more than eight hundred spectators. Although much of its history has been linked to the genre of the Spanish music reviews (with divas such as Celia Gámez, Lina Morgan or Esperanza Roy), at the beginning of the thirties it functioned as a movie theater, being one of the first rooms that incorporated sound projector. In 2012, the Teatro Alcazar was renamed the Teatro Cofidis Alcazar for its sponsor.

Official Teatro Cofidis Alcazar

Tourist office of Madrid on the Teatro Cofidis Alcazar

And there you go plenty of places for fun no matter what your inclinations Madrid has it and has it good. Well we play the lottery but did not win again!!! You need to play to win so we will try again soon. Enjoy the Madrid scene and move on!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!