By Katy DeHaven
On our virtual vacation this week we are going International. I started studying Spanish in 7th grade and continued with it all through High School. My senior year I was fortunate enough to travel to Spain on a school sponsored trip. The trip started in Madrid and we toured south down to the Costa del Sol, spending time in Toledo, Seville, Cordoba before ending in Malaga. It was an amazing trip, and one of my favorite High School memories. I thought for this week’s virtual vacation we could check out Madrid.
Madrid is the capital of Spain and home to the
Spanish royal family and the Spanish government. The city is one of
Europe’s most historically rich
cities, as it was originally founded in the ninth century A.D. and was
called Mayrit at that time. Today it is considered one of Europe’s most
progressive, modern and beautiful cities with a vibrant local arts
culture and energetic nightlife. Let’s check out
some of the highlights of the city.
The Prado Museum or Museo Nacional del Prado is
the main Spanish national art museum. It
is widely considered to have one of the world’s finest collections of
European art dating back to the 12th century.
Take a look inside the Prado:
Take a look inside the Prado:
Plaza Mayor is
the major public space in the heart of Madrid and was once the centre
of Old Madrid and is located just a few blocks from another
famous plaza,
the Puerta del Sol. Plaza Mayor is surrounded by three-story buildings
with porches all along the plaza. There are three famous landmarks
within the plaza, Equestrian
Statue of Philip III,
Casa de la Panaderia which was once the most important bakery in Madrid and El Arco de Cuchilleros, the most famous of the nine entrances to the Plaza. This was where my classmates and I were dropped on our first day in Madrid and told to find our way back to the hotel. Where did a bunch of American teenagers go first before finding their way back? McDonalds of course!
Casa de la Panaderia which was once the most important bakery in Madrid and El Arco de Cuchilleros, the most famous of the nine entrances to the Plaza. This was where my classmates and I were dropped on our first day in Madrid and told to find our way back to the hotel. Where did a bunch of American teenagers go first before finding their way back? McDonalds of course!
Puerta del Sol is
one of the best known and busiest places in Madrid. Originally it was
the site of one of Madrid’s gates,
facing east and adorned with the image of the sun. The square also
contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the
Twelve Grapes to mark the beginning of the new year.
Gran Via, sometimes referred to as Spanish Broadway
is one of Madrid’s most popular shopping areas, with a large number of
hotels and movie theaters in addition to shopping. The street serves as a
showcase of early 20th-century
revival architecture with architectural styles ranging from Vienna
Secession style, Plateresque, Neo-Mudejar, Art Demo and others. Check
out this video of
the area.
Completed in 1764, the Royal Palace in Madrid is the
largest royal palace in Western Europe and is today the official
residence of the Spanish Royal family. To learn more about the history
of the palace and the palace
grounds click here. For a brief history of the Spanish royal family, check out this video.
Buen Retiro Park or El Retiro is one of the largest
parks in Madrid. It has a large lake where visitors can rent row boats.
The Velaquez Palace and Crystal
Palace which are used as exhibition halls
by the Reina Sofia Museum are also located here. In addition to boating,
visitors also enjoy classes in rollerblading, live concerts, puppet
shows, street artists and outdoor yoga.
Check out this virtual walk around the park.
The Reina Sofia Museum is
Spain’s national museum of 20th century art, boasting one of the finest
collections
of contemporary art in the world. The museum was named for Queen Sofia,
who was Queen of Spain until 2014. Google Arts & Culture offers a
wonderful online library
of some of the museum’s collection.
One of the most traditionally Spanish things we did
while in Madrid was attending a bullfight. Bullfighting dates back to
Roman times and the events were originally held to celebrate
special occasions such as the coronation
of a new king, royal weddings and military victories. I realize that bullfighting is controversial, due to the concerns over the animal welfare, funding and religion, but if you
are interested in learning more about bullfighting, check out this video (No graphic images). In Madrid, bullfighting takes place
at Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, this beautiful arena first opened in 1931 and has a seating capacity for over 23,000.
We hope you enjoyed your virtual trip to Madrid!
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