Paris1972-Versailles2003

And here again, find myself with pictures from my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me. I have lots of memories of my dear Madrid with lots of youthful exhuberant activities… I have many posts on Madrid in my blog and this one deserves to be known and on a wonderful area of the city. Therefore, here is my take on the former Real Fàbrica de La Moncloa of Madrid !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I

The Real Fábrica de La Moncloa or the Royal Factory of La Moncloa was a royal factory for producing porcelain and ceramic items intended for royal use. It was created in 1817 after the absolutist restoration, and promoted by Queen Maria Isabel of Braganza (wife of Fernando VII) to replace the old Royal Factory of Buen Retiro, founded in 1760 by Carlos III, and which was destroyed by British troops commanded by Wellington during the Spanish War of Independence (vs Napoléon’s France). Located in the Royal Site of La Florida, located in the Granjilla de los Jerónimos, farmland that belonged to the Jerónimos, and which was previously called El Paso, here, near where the hermitage of San Antonio (see post) is today, was the first Jerónimos Convent, the Monastery of Our Lady of El Paso, founded by Henry IV in 1464, before its transfer to Buen Retiro.

The operation of the factory can be divided into four stages, the first from 1817 to 1821. In it, porcelain pieces with abundant polychromy and French influence were produced, initially using pastes and molds from Buen Retiro, where the Giorgi brothers worked as painters. The second stage spanned from 1821 to 1833, producing on a large scale in imitation of the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, following English and French trends. The third stage of the factory practically covered the reign of Isabel II of Spain, and was characterized by abstract decoration, suppressing the previous classicism. To give greater impetus to the factory, in 1846 Juan Federico Langlois, former director of the Isigny-le-Buat manufacture in France, was appointed director. The precariousness of the facilities and the lack of materials were the cause of his dismissal and the closure of the factory in 1850. In 1874 La Moncloa reopened its doors. The novelty of this reopening was the manufacture of ceramic tiles for architecture, influenced by the Catalan modernism of the late 19C, belonging to this final stage works such as the decoration of the Velázquez Palace in the Retiro park. Another novelty was the return to the classical Spanish techniques that the Zuloaga brothers defended and promoted, and pharmaceutical jars, sculptural groups and imitation Alcoreña plaques were also made, but the great expense involved in starting up the factory and the lack of interest of the public, caused the factory to close permanently at the end of the 19C. Finally, the old factory was closed; some buildings remain, the chimney, the Florida pavilion and the spectacular oven known as La Tinaja, built after 1881 for firing glass.

The Moncloa Ceramics School is a teaching center run by the Madrid City Council, whose project began in 1911. It has survived all this time in different forms and locations. It is currently located in the heart of Parque del Oeste in the Moncloa-Aravaca District. The Madrid Ceramics School was founded in 1911, initially located at 12 Calle Fernando el Católico , in a building donated by the City Council that belonged to the San Bernardino Asylum. The location was unsuitable, and the workshops were moved to the old premises of La Tinaja, where the Zuloaga School had previously been located, which were later renovated. The school complex was rebuilt and expanded with new pavilions forming a “U” shape around the garden, which remains today. Today, when the art of pottery has almost disappeared and ceramics are mostly produced industrially, the factory no longer exists, but the two schools do: the Moncloa Municipal Ceramics School and the Francisco Alcántara Art School, currently dependent on the Community of Madrid. Today, facing each other, separated by the garden, they have operated independently since 1984, when the former state-municipal collaboration broke down. But in 2011, both celebrated the centenary of the founding of the Madrid Ceramics School together. The works that now adorn the pavilion’s shelves and aisles are modern, made by the school’s students. But not everything can be easily forgotten. From the backyard, you can see the remains of the old Zuloaga Factory and School, which was built on the site of the former Royal Pottery Factory. In 1991, the Florida Pavilion was renovated into a cultural center and exhibition hall, but since 2001 it has been occupied by municipal police offices. The School is located next to the Florida Cemetery, at No 2, Calle Francisco and Jacinto Alcántara (father and son). And of course, enjoy the surroundings, now called Parque de la Tinaja, inaugurated in 1973 on the grounds of the old Ceramics Factory, in Parque del Oeste.

It was founded in 1911 by Francisco Alcántara Jurado. This illustrious figure, a pioneer in educational innovation and associated with the most progressive movements of his time, was also a prestigious art critic, professor, and painter. He also dedicated much of his work to reviving the pottery and ceramics tradition, culminating in the founding of this educational center. It can be reached by metro Moncloa lines 3 and 6 as well as by buses no. 001, 1, 44, 133, 138 at Argüelles stop, being close to the Parque del Oeste-Rosaleda, and the new gardens of the Green Railway Corridor, Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida, and the Temple of Debod, Among many other intellectuals and artists such as Sorolla, Zuloaga, Muñoz Degrain, Menéndez Pidal and Ortega y Gasset, beginning to exhibit their works in places such as the Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Patio de Cristales of the City/Town Hall, the patio of the Ministry of State or the Aguirre Schools. After the Spanish civil war, teaching activities were resumed in the 1939-40 academic year, continuing the work started with more enthusiasm and external projection. It still preserves the building and furnace of the old La Moncloa Factory nearby He passed on to his son, Jacinto Alcántara, in 1928. Throughout his life he collaborated as an art critic in newspapers and magazines such as El Globo, Nuevo Mundo, Blanco y Negro, El Imparcial, El Sol, La Esfera, La Justicia and the Revista de España, often using the pseudonyms “Expladián” and “Estudiante Españoleto”.

The official Escuela de Arte Francisco Alcántara. Cerámica :  https://escueladeceramica.com/

The Madrid tourist office on the parque del Oeste : https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/parque-del-oeste

There you go folks, again ,another dandy in my beautiful Madrid! One of the nature activities spots you cannot miss visiting the city and enjoying its many spots along a wonderful parque del Oeste. Again, hope you enjoy the former Real Fàbrica de La Moncloa of Madrid !!! as I.

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