This is a place spent quite a bit of my time while visiting or living in Madrid, The area is just gorgeous to walk it and we love it, I found me older new pictures in my blog and feel they should be in it, The Plaza de Oriente or eastern square is smallish yet surrounded by wonderful buildings not the least the Teatro Real or Royal Theater of Spain. Therefore, let me tell you a bit more on the Teatro Real in the Plaza de Oriente of Madrid !!!, and especially show you the pictures worth a thousand words. Hope you enjoy the post as I,
This is heavens territory or as we said, all Spain in one city, you have, see it and do it all here. This is my dear Madrid! Do read my other posts on these two worth the detour, me think,
Around here you just see gorgeous buildings ,architecture and history of Spain, In the center of the square is the main sculpture, an equestrian statue of Philip IV made of bronze that was the first in the world to stand on its two hind legs. To achieve this feat, the creator of the sculpture had the help of Galileo.Also, see a sculptural collection of twenty Spanish kings made of limestone that was created for the decoration of the Royal Palace, but which finally ended up in the Plaza de Oriente. It is so called because it is located in front of the eastern façade of the Royal Palace.
You have architecture and history all around you, and great ambiance, guarantee !!! Nevertheless, the Plaza de Oriente is a must to come , especially if first time, just talking about the walks around here !! The central gardens, designed in 1941, are distributed in a grid shape forming attractive flower beds with floral plantations, hedges and cypresses. On the outside of the square there are two lush gardens, the Cabo Noval Gardens dedicated to Corporal Luis Noval Ferrao, who died in 1909 in the Rif War for warning his companions of the imminent enemy ambush.and the Lepant Gardens dedicated to Captain Melgar, who died in combat in the Rif War, A bit of history on the Rif War ,this was a conflict in Morocco when the tribes of the Rif rose in arms against the colonial power of Spain and also, France with the treaty of Fez (1912), design the areas of Spanish and French protectorates.
Some anecdote of the Plaza de Oriente tell us that Giuseppe Verdi passed through here in 1863, when he directed his opera La forza del destino at the Teatro Real. At Nos 2 to 6 were formerly the Houses of Mathematics and the Treasury. Diego Velázquez lived in the same House of the Treasury between 1652 and 1660. It is said that he painted Las Meninas in his workshop. In the underground parking facilities are the remains of the Islamic Watchtower from the 11C. These are the remains of a watchtower or tower built outside the primitive walls of the city with the aim of monitoring and protecting the area.
The Teatro Real is the Teatro de la Opera is located in the Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace. Its construction began in 1818, and was inaugurated in 1850. It remained uninterrupted as an opera house until 1925, when it had to close because of structural problems in the building. It did not open its doors again until 1966, as symphonic concert hall. Between 1988 and 1997, it underwent a major remodeling that turned it into an operatic coliseum again.
The Teatro Real is one of the most important stages in Spain and the world (voted best opera in the world 2021). The real interest of the visit is the discovery of the scene. A true technical feat, the most advanced in Europe, the 1,470 m2 stage is completely removable. It is thanks to 18 removable platforms that the decor can change from one evening to another in record time. The theater, therefore ,has the capacity to host several plays during the same period. The building offers a mix of architecture borrowing a neoclassical style from the mid-19C. It is distinguished by its majestic size, its luxurious ornaments and its impressive facade seen from the outside as well as the singularity of the shape of its interior. Visiting the interior of the theater allows you to discover complex settings offered on 18 platforms. In multiple combinations of the stage and the orchestra pit, the opera house provides a capacity of between 1,750 and 1,854 seats. They are distributed between 28 boxes of 9 floors, eight prosceniums and a royal box twice as high. The only floor reserved for the public goes around the building and is called La Rotonda or the rotunda. It is made up of four large rooms and structured around different themes. However, the real wonder of the heart of the Teatro Real is found level of its pear-shaped depth, its majestic stage, and its extraordinary main chandelier hanging above the room.
The official Teatro Real: https://www.teatroreal.es/en
The Madrid tourist office on the Teatro Real: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/teatro-real
The Madrid tourist office on the Plaza de Oriente: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/jardines-de-la-plaza-de-oriente
There you go folks, another wonderful square and theater in my dear Madrid, and a great place to walk at any hour. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Teatro Real in the Plaza de Oriente of Madrid !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 