So got me another picture from my vault on my dear Madrid! And of course, could not keep it out of my blog and share. This is a very famous street and a wonderful set of architecture and history as well. Many if not all the sights here have posts in my blog ok. Let me tell you a bit on the architecturally stunning and historically great , Paseo del Prado of Madrid!!
Paseo del Prado, you’ll catch one of Madrid’s best-known boulevards , which shares the same name as the world-famous art museum. Other than the prominent Prado, the boulevard stretches past Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, almost reaching Museo Reina Sofia in an area known as “The Golden Triangle of Art”. When walking, make sure to stay in the green area in the middle, where you’ll spot plenty of monuments, statues, fountains and people walking their dogs or enjoying an afternoon stroll. The Paseo del Prado is the oldest historical urban street in Madrid It runs between the Plaza de Cibeles and the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V (also known as Plaza de Atocha), with the Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo lying approximately in the middle. The Paseo del Prado forms the southern end of the city’s central axis (which continues to the north of Cibeles as the Paseo de Recoletos, and further north as the Paseo de la Castellana, see posts. It is a must to walk it all ! The wonderful architecture, history and things to see here is amazing !! Stay tune, a bit long but all worth it me think.
The Paseo del Prado is a wonderful street to walk as said, and say it again, you must walk it all !! It is one of the main axis of the city of Madrid with opportunities to walk past wonderful buildings of great architecture and historical value, we love it, can you tell ? On this promenade there are also different monuments and venues of historical-artistic interest, built in the 18C as part of the Salón del Prado urban project, in addition to numerous ornamental and landscape motifs. The Villanueva Building, the main headquarters of the Prado Museum, the Royal Botanical Garden are some of the amazing sights here.
The Paseo or walk owes its name to the disappeared Prado de los Jerónimos, a group of plots of land and wild meadows located around the Monastery of San Jerónimo el Real,(see post), which marked the eastern limit of the urban area of Madrid. The whole area was known as Prado Viejo, The first urban reform of the Prado Viejo took place in 1570, under the impulse of King Felipe II, who had established the Court in Madrid nine years earlier. At the beginning of the 17C, it was built, next to the monastery of San Jerónimo el Real , the Buen Retiro Palace, an estate and royal residence that closed the east face of the Prado de los Jerónimos. Of this last set, only the Salon de Reinos or hall of kingdoms and the Salon de Baile or ballroom ,known as the Casón del Buen Retiro (see post) are preserved, as well as part of its gardens, which make up the current Parque del Retiro (see post).
The Salón del Prado,or Prado Hall as this great reform was called, turned this profusely wooded area into a promenade with gardens and fountains. The Salón del Prado ran from the current Plaza de Cibeles to the roundabout of Atocha (now Glorieta del Emperador Carlos V), distinguishing three sections. The first, with the fountain of Apollo (or of the Four Seasons) in its center, and had those of Cibeles and Neptune at the ends, receiving the name of Prado de Apolo. The second went from Neptuno to the Botanical Garden, in front of which there was a roundabout with four small fountains at the intersection of Calle de Huertas, and lastly, the promenade that ran in front of the main façade of the Botanical Garden constituted the third section, at the end of which was placed the Fuente of Alcachofa or fountain of the Artichoke, rising in the background as part of the fence of the Salon del Prado, the Puerta de Atocha or Vallecas. The work was finished off with the repair and decoration of the promenade that leads to the Puerta de Alcalá , and the remodeling of the promenade that heads towards the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Atocha (Our Lady of Atocha).
Between palaces on one side and the other, the Gabinete de Historia Natural or natural history cabinet (today the main building of the Prado Museum), the Royal Botanical Garden, the Platería de Martínez (where the Ministry of Health is today) and the Observatorio Astronómico or astronomical observatory. The Fuente de Alcachofa was moved to the Retiro Park pond, although it has a modern replica in the center of the Glorieta del Emperador Carlos V. From the time of the creation of the Prado hall, although initially intended for private residences,you have now many wonderful buildings such as the Palacio de Buenavista palace, at the intersection of Calle de Alcalá with Plaza de Cibeles, and the Palacio de Villahermosa (now houses the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum), on the corner of Plaza de las Cortes with Paseo del Prado. Already in the 19C, the Linares Palace (1873), and the Bank of Spain building (1891), both in Plaza de Cibeles, and the Bolsa or Stock Exchange (1893) were built. Interesting buildings of the 20C are the Ritz hotel (1910) and Palace hotel now Westin (1912) , and the Palace of Communications (1919) (today city hall of Madrid). In 2008,opened the CaixaForum Madrid cultural dissemination space , occupying the old building Central electrical del Mediodía (1899), transformed and remodeled for its new use. As part of this complex, the vertical garden attached to the main building stands out. Mind you you can read and see about these buildings in my many posts on my dear Madrid, so put in some pictures not elsewhere.
Ok on a walk, and again, a must ; you can see these wonderful buildings of my dear Madrid ! With a brief description as again see my many posts in my blog.
The Prado Museum is one of the most important museums in the world, as we see in the lists. In fact, it is the main claim of many of the tourists who come to Madrid every year. Casón del Buen Retiro. It was built in the second quarter of the 17C as a Ballroom, within the project that would also build the Palacio del Buen Retiro (now disappeared) and the Salón de Reinos, It is now part of the Prado Museum, The Thyssen Bornemisza Museum is an art gallery that brings together the most valuable works from the private collection that the Thyssen-Bornemisza family acquired over 70 years. It occupies the Palace of Villahermosa, from the 18C, Inaugurated in 1992 at the southern vertex of the Art Triangle, its full name is the Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum. In its permanent collection, the nucleus of great Spanish authors of the 20C stands out.
Jeronimos Church. Next to the Royal Spanish Academy and behind the Prado Museum, the old Jerónimos Church still stands.
Real Academia Española or the royal Spanish academy. It was founded in Madrid in 1713 with the aim of “cultivating and establishing the purity and elegance of the Castilian language.” The building that it currently occupies, with four floors, was built at the end of the 19C in a style with neoclassical references.
Ritz Hotel. Currently belonging to the Belmond chain, the Ritz Hotel was built in 1910 following the wishes of King Alfonso XIII, The Westin Palace Hotel was inaugurated in 1912 following the suggestion that King Alfonso XIII made to the businessman Georges Marquet to open a hotel establishment with all the advances of the time
Monument to the Fallen for Spain. On the odd side of the Paseo del Prado is the Plaza de la Lealtad. And in the center of it we have the Monument to the Fallen for Spain, also called the May 2 Monument, in memory of the Heroes of May 2, 1808.
Bolsa or stock exchange building. In the same Plaza de la Lealtad, facing the Monument to the Fallen for Spain
Plaza Canovas del Castillo square. It is also popularly known as Neptune Square, because the Fuente de Neptuno or Neptune fountain is located in its center. Considered one of the most beautiful in the world
Fuente de Apolo or Apollo fountain. It is the center of the old Salon del Prado hall.Also, know as the Fuente de las Cuatro Estaciones or fountain of the four seasons. This is due to the four effigies that surround the fountain and that represent each of the seasons of the year.
Plaza de Cibeles. It is one of the most popular and visited squares in Madrid, The venue for the successes of Real Madrid, the square located at the beginning of Paseo del Prado is of special interest due to the Fuente de Cibeles fountain that occupies its center and the buildings that is surrounded by such as Cibeles Palace(old communications), the Linares Palace, the Buenavista Palace and the Bank of Spain building.
CaixaForum. It is the Cultural and Social Center of Obra Social de La Caixa, a space that houses a wide cultural offer with temporary exhibitions, conferences, workshops, courses and concerts.
At the southern end of the Paseo del Prado is the Atocha trains station, which was born in the 19C as the Central Station of Madrid and shortly after was renamed the Estación del Mediodía. The railway complex houses the Cercanías station, with access to the Metro, and Puerta de Atocha, for High Speed and long distance.
The Palacio de Fomento y Ministerio de Agricultura or development palace and ministry of agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture is currently housed in the Palacio de Fomento, built in the last years of the 19C, facing the Atocha trains station,
Continuing our circuit along the Paseo del Prado we come across the Cuesta de Moyano, a small pedestrianized street that links the Glorieta del Emperador Carlos V roundabout with the Retiro Park. On this slope there has been a Book Fair since ancient times in which some of the most traditional bookstores in Madrid have a sales booth,
The Jardin Botànico or botanical garden occupies this privileged corner of Madrid since 1781. It was located in this place to further embellish the Prado Hall project and to create the Hill of Sciences in this area on the outskirts of the city, together with the Cabinet of Natural Sciences (today part of the Prado Museum) and the Astronomical Observatory.
Monument to Eugenio d’Ors. Located in front of the Prado Museum, we have had this monument since 1963. It is dedicated to the writer and philosopher Eugenio d’Ors Rovira and consists of a granite mural with a slightly curved line. Inside there is an inscription reflecting Orsian thought and in front of it a fountain with two figures. In the extrados we see a medallion with the image of the honoree.
The Madrid tourist office on Paseo del Prado : https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/paseo-prado
There you folks, a dandy wonderful street of my dear Madrid. A good walk with plenty of architecture and history, A walk on Paseo del Prado is a must to do while in Madrid, me think. Hope you have enjoy the walk and do it eventually as I will again!
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Like this:
Like Loading...
Paris1972-Versailles2003 