5 historical places to see in Madrid

Madrid, the beautiful capital of Spain is and has many charming historical places to visit. Madrid is the largest city in Spain and a large number of tourists visit the city every year. When visiting Madrid, these 5 places are definitely worth a visit:

1. The Royal Palace is the largest and one of the most impressive palaces in Europe. It has more than 2000 luxuriously decorated rooms. After the fire that destroyed the old Habsburg Alcazar during Christmas 1724, Philip V commissioned the Italian architect Filippo Juvara (1678-1736) to design a new palace. Visitors to the palace can see 50 of its 2,800 rooms. It is located to the east of the historic center of Madrid. The palace is still used for visits by heads of state and other ceremonies.

The palace is built entirely of stone composed of granite from the Sierra de Guadarrama and white stone from Colmenar. Colossal foundation walls support the building on the steep slope that goes down to the Manzanares and is located in the palace gardens. It looks really magnificent.

2. The Plaza de España is one of the largest and most popular squares in Madrid. On a sunny day it fills up with street vendors, tourists, and locals sunbathing. The square is located at the end of Gran Vía, which is one of the main popular avenues in Madrid. The square has a huge fountain and a famous statue in honor of the well-known Spanish writer Cervantes.

The square dates back to the 18th century, when it was mainly occupied by military barracks. Today it is a popular sunbathing spot and a host of street vendors on warm days.

3. Gran Vía is an absolutely beautiful street that shows the architecture of the early twentieth century. The street is very lively and is one of the most popular shopping areas in the city.

Gran Vía is made up of a large number of hotels and movie theaters. The architectural design is quite elaborate, especially in the larger buildings. While in the square, you will be able to admire the beautifully decorated grandiose ‘buildings’, which is a street made up of tall buildings, including the iconic Metropolis Building.

4.Theater Royal, Madrid is a beautifully constructed building. It is located in the Plaza de Oriente in front of the Royal Palace, it was built in 1818 after the demolition of the Caños del Peral Theater. The young Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated the theater in 1850 with a performance of the opera “La Favorita” by Donizetti.

Located in the Plaza de Oriente, numerous European opera singers from the 19th and early 20th centuries took the stage of this great theater and, for decades, it was at the center of Madrid’s cultural scene. The theater became extremely famous for performances of Verdi and Wagner’s operas, works by Stravinsky, and Russian ballet.

5. Las Ventas is located east of Madrid. It was built in 1929 and houses the most important bullring in the world. The first bullfight was in 1931. Every year thousands of people flock to witness bullfighting, an event considered controversial to say the least around the world.

Las Ventas has a very interesting architectural style called Mozarabic style. This particular design is made up of horseshoe-shaped arches and ribbed domes. This building also has ceramic “inlays” representing the coats of arms of all the provinces of Spain.

Madrid has a wonderful transport network and makes it easy to get around to see all the attractions.