Paseo de Recoletos
Encyclopedia
Paseo de Recoletos is a wide boulevard
in central Madrid
(Spain
) leading from Plaza de Cibeles
to Plaza de Colón.
From West to East it consists of:
to urbanize the area of the old Bajo Abroñigal (or Valnegral) river, which flew from Chamartín
to Plaza Atocha. This gave birth to Paseo del Prado
as well to Paseo de Recoletos. The name "Recoletos" was taken from an old convent of Augustinian Recollect friars built in 1592 in the area.
The boulevard originally ended in the old Puerta de Recoletos, a baroque
gate
built under Ferdinand VI
in 1756 and dismantled in 1863. During the Peninsular War
this gate (and others of the area) was fortified to fend off the Napoleonic troops. On 3 December 1808 Napoleon I
personally directed the attacks against Madrid from the Fuente Castellana (today Plaza de Emilio Castelar). The Batería de Veterinaria (commanded by artillery
official Vasallo) held off the troops that were trying to breach Recoletos Gate to surround the Alcalá Gate defenders. The French troops managed to break through El Retiro
, outflanking the gates of Recoletos, Alcalá and Atocha, leading to Madrid's capitulation the following day.
During the Civil War
the statues and fountains along the Paseo de Recoletos and El Prado were hidden under protection sacks, which led the area to be nicknamed "of the twilight of the gods".
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The center part of the boulevard is a pedestrian walk, lined with gardens, trees, statues, fountains and varied street furniture
.
The first and largest stretch of the boulevard (from Plaza Cibeles to Calle de Prim) has a row of eight ponds lined with white double doric columns. The ponds, which are lighted at night, are situated one slightly above the next one, forming tiny water falls in between. The first and last of these ponds have little jet fountains.
Next to it is the Terraza Recoletos (an outdoor café-restaurant) and an Equatorial Sundial.
The second and shortest stretch (from Calle Prim to Calle Almirante/Recoletos) contains the Café Gijón (number 21), an historic literary café founded in 1888 with an outdoor terraza on the boulevard.
On the fourth and last stretch (from Calle Bárbara de Braganza/Villanueva to Plaza de Colón) is the Café El Espejo (number 31), another quaint café with an impressive glass pavilion influenced by Art Nouveau
. It also has a monument dedicated to Spanish
author Juan Valera
and one of his best known works, Pepita Jiménez, a statue of Ramón del Valle-Inclán
and a drinking fountain. Near the northern corner of the stretch is the entrance to a pedestrian underground passage
leading to the eastern median strip of the boulevard. This tunnel appears in Carlos Saura
's film Taxi
(1996).
The other three stretches are lined with trees, bushes and ornamental flowerbeds, and a path for pedestrians.
Paseo de Recoletos is also used as an outdoors temporary exhibition place:
Other events:
The first building next to the Jardines del Descubrimiento is the Casa del Tesoro (numbers 20/22 of the boulevard), built around 1568 and occupied since 1711 by the Biblioteca Nacional
(Recoletos side) and the National Archeological Museum (Serrano street side).
In number 10 lies the Marqués de Salamanca
Palace, built between 1846 and 1855 by architect Narciso Pascual y Colomer in a Renaissance
style. The Marquis sold it in 1876 to the Banco Hipotecario, which installed its headquarters in it and enlarged it in 1905, 1919 and 1945/1948 with two new pavilions and two lateral wings. In 1991 it was acquired by Banco Argentaria and it currently houses the BBVA Foundation.
Right next to the Plaza Cibeles (in Recoletos, 2) lies the Marqués de Linares Palace (Palacio de Linares), built in 1873 by architect Carlos Colubí. In that terrain had stood since the 17th century the Pósito de la Villa, a big cereal warehouse with reserves to be used in times of shortage.
During the 20th century it was sold to the Transmediterranean Company and later to the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks. In 1976 it was declared "Historical-Artistic Monument", saving it from ruin and speculation. In 1989 it was sold by magnate Emiliano Revilla for 3,6 million Euro to the Instituto de Cooperación Hispanoamericana, the Town Hall and Madrid Autonomous Community to rehabilitate it (on a budget of more than 12 million Euro) and establish the Casa de América on it, where it currently resides.
Next to it stands the Convent of San Pascual (or San Pascual Bailón), founded in 1683 by the Admiral of Castile, Juan Gaspar Enríquez de Cabrera for the Franciscan
order of San Pedro de Alcántara.
In 1836 during the Desamortización of Mendizábal
the convent was transformed into a wood warehouse, until 1852, when the Franciscan nuns came back under the protection of Mariano Téllez Girón Beaufort, duke of Osuna and Medina de Rioseco.
Every Tuesday -19'00 h- is celebrated a service in the old Spanish liturgy (Gothic-Hispanic or Mozarabic Rite).
Nine years later it was expropriated by the Town Hall and demolished to enlarge the Paseo. In 1866 the current building was built by architect Juan J. Urquijo, and is inhabited by the nuns.
Number 13 is occupied by the Palace of Alcañices or Duque de Sesto. It was built in 1865 by architect Francisco de Cubas, a typical palatial residence of the high class of 19th century Isabelian
Madrid. Seven years later the same architect built the next building (number 15), known as the Palace of López Dóriga, in the same style. And the block ends with the Houses of the Asociación Mutua Benéfica, built in 1869 also following the Isabelino style. It currently belongs to the Ministry of the Navy.
A modern crystal building stands out in number 19; it's Banco Pastor
's headquarters, built by Corrales and Molezún (1973/1975).
The Palace of Duchess of Mediana de las Torres stands in number 23, built on the terrain where it once was the Circo de Price (burned down in 1876, four years before). The two towers at both sides of the building were added in 1910. The Palace of Elduayen (one of the last ones of this period) was built next to it (number 25) and currently belongs to the Mapfre Insurance Company.
Boulevard
A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...
in central Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) leading from Plaza de Cibeles
Plaza de Cibeles
The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid.-Cibeles Fountain:...
to Plaza de Colón.
From West to East it consists of:
- Two southward lanes
- The pedestrianPedestrianA pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
walk - A southward Bus laneBus laneA bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion...
- Three southward lanes
- Three northward lanes
- A median strip lined with trees, flowerbeds, etc.
- Two nortward lanes
- A northward Bus lane.
History
By the end of the 18th century architect José de Hermosilla was entrusted by King Charles IIICharles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
to urbanize the area of the old Bajo Abroñigal (or Valnegral) river, which flew from Chamartín
Chamartín
Chamartín is an administrative district of Madrid, Spain and consists of the following neighborhoods: El Viso, Prosperidad, Ciudad Jardín, Hispanoamérica, Nueva España, and Pza...
to Plaza Atocha. This gave birth to Paseo del Prado
Paseo del Prado
The Paseo del Prado is one of the main boulevards in Madrid, Spain. It runs north-south between the Plaza de Cibeles and the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V , with the Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo lying approximately in the middle...
as well to Paseo de Recoletos. The name "Recoletos" was taken from an old convent of Augustinian Recollect friars built in 1592 in the area.
The boulevard originally ended in the old Puerta de Recoletos, a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
gate
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
built under Ferdinand VI
Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
in 1756 and dismantled in 1863. During the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
this gate (and others of the area) was fortified to fend off the Napoleonic troops. On 3 December 1808 Napoleon I
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
personally directed the attacks against Madrid from the Fuente Castellana (today Plaza de Emilio Castelar). The Batería de Veterinaria (commanded by artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
official Vasallo) held off the troops that were trying to breach Recoletos Gate to surround the Alcalá Gate defenders. The French troops managed to break through El Retiro
El Retiro
El Retiro can refer to:* El Retiro: a former estate in Lake Wales, Florida, United States* Parque del Buen Retiro: a park in Madrid, Spain* El Retiro, Antioquia: a municipality in Colombia* El Retiro, Coahuila: a town in Mexico...
, outflanking the gates of Recoletos, Alcalá and Atocha, leading to Madrid's capitulation the following day.
During the Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
the statues and fountains along the Paseo de Recoletos and El Prado were hidden under protection sacks, which led the area to be nicknamed "of the twilight of the gods".
The pedestrian boulevard
Street furniture
Street furniture is a collective term for objects and pieces of equipment installed on streets and roads for various purposes, including traffic barriers,...
.
The first and largest stretch of the boulevard (from Plaza Cibeles to Calle de Prim) has a row of eight ponds lined with white double doric columns. The ponds, which are lighted at night, are situated one slightly above the next one, forming tiny water falls in between. The first and last of these ponds have little jet fountains.
Next to it is the Terraza Recoletos (an outdoor café-restaurant) and an Equatorial Sundial.
The second and shortest stretch (from Calle Prim to Calle Almirante/Recoletos) contains the Café Gijón (number 21), an historic literary café founded in 1888 with an outdoor terraza on the boulevard.
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
. It also has a monument dedicated to Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
author Juan Valera
Juan Valera y Alcala Galiano
Juan Valera y Alcalá-Galiano , was a Spanish realist author, writer and political figure.He was born at Cabra, in the province of Córdoba, and was educated at Málaga and at the University of Granada, where he took his degree in law, and then entered upon a diplomatic career...
and one of his best known works, Pepita Jiménez, a statue of Ramón del Valle-Inclán
Ramón del Valle-Inclán
Ramón María del Valle-Inclán y de la Peña , Spanish dramatist, novelist and member of the Spanish Generation of 98, is considered perhaps the most noteworthy and certainly the most radical dramatist working to subvert the traditionalism of the Spanish...
and a drinking fountain. Near the northern corner of the stretch is the entrance to a pedestrian underground passage
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
leading to the eastern median strip of the boulevard. This tunnel appears in Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura
Carlos Saura Atarés is a Spanish film director and photographer.-Early life:Born into a family of artists , he developed his artistic sense in childhood as a photography enthusiast.He obtained his directing diploma in Madrid in 1957 at the Institute of Cinema Research and Studies...
's film Taxi
Taxi (1996 film)
Taxi is a 1996 Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura, starring Ingrid Rubio and focusing on the emergence of far-right and racist groups in Spain during the 1990s.-Plot:...
(1996).
The eastern median strip
This strip is divided into four stretches, the same as the pedestrian walk. The northern stretch is not wide enough to allow a walk, but it contains a green area conmemorative stone for the 30th Anniversary of the Children's Rights declaration, and a little iron sculpture of two reading kids "to the Book and its creators" (this sculpture is in front of the National Library).The other three stretches are lined with trees, bushes and ornamental flowerbeds, and a path for pedestrians.
Events on the Paseo
The pedestrian walk is lined with stands several times a year:- The Feria del Libro Antiguo y de Ocasión (Secondhand Book Fair), held in April/May.
- The Feria de Artesanía (Craftmanship Fair), held during Christmas period.
- The Feria del Libro Viejo y Antiguo (Old Book Fair), held in Autumn.
- A Feria del Disco Antiguo y de Ocasión (Secondhand Gramophone recordGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
Fair) was held every Spring between 2000 and 2005 but the Town Hall denied permission in 2006. - Every 27 March at middayMiddayMidday is a television show that aired on Australia's Nine Network from 1985-1998. The show aired, like its title suggests, at noon on every weekday and was a 90 minute variety programme with international and local guests. It featured interviews, musical performances and comedy spots...
the World Theatre Day is celebrated around the Valle-Inclán statue, with the "Alfiler de la Bufanda" prize-giving ceremony and the reading of a letter to Valle-Inclán and the World Theatre Day Manifesto.
Paseo de Recoletos is also used as an outdoors temporary exhibition place:
- From 4 May to 31 July 2006 the 10 pieces "ONE through ZERO" by Robert IndianaRobert IndianaRobert Indiana is an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement.-Life and work:Robert Indiana was born Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana. His family relocated to Indianapolis, where he graduated from Arsenal Technical High School...
decorate it. This exhibition is completed with another five pieces in Paseo del Prado ("Love", "Amor", "Art", "Imperial Love", "Love Wall") by the same artist. - From 12 May to 12 August 1994 21 sculptures by Fernando BoteroFernando BoteroFernando Botero Angulo is a Colombian figurative artist. His works feature a figurative style, called by some "Boterismo", which gives them an unmistakable identity...
were shown along the pedestrian walk.
Other events:
- During the "Madrid Abierto" street art events the Paseo hosted the Museo Peatonal, a collection of objects by people living or working in the area that sought to reflect the spirit of the place.
- In Christmas 2004 the Paseo was decorated with rows of illuminated words by artist Eva Lootz. They were light in slow waves and were situated in each traffic lane.
Buildings along the East side of the Paseo (even numbers)
Biblioteca Nacional de España
The Biblioteca Nacional de España is a major public library, the largest in Spain.It is located in Madrid, on the Paseo de Recoletos.-History:...
(Recoletos side) and the National Archeological Museum (Serrano street side).
In number 10 lies the Marqués de Salamanca
José de Salamanca, 1st Count of los Llanos
José de Salamanca y Mayol, 1st Marquis of Salamanca and 1st Count of los Llanos, Grandee of Spain was a Spanish noble, politician and businessman...
Palace, built between 1846 and 1855 by architect Narciso Pascual y Colomer in a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style. The Marquis sold it in 1876 to the Banco Hipotecario, which installed its headquarters in it and enlarged it in 1905, 1919 and 1945/1948 with two new pavilions and two lateral wings. In 1991 it was acquired by Banco Argentaria and it currently houses the BBVA Foundation.
Right next to the Plaza Cibeles (in Recoletos, 2) lies the Marqués de Linares Palace (Palacio de Linares), built in 1873 by architect Carlos Colubí. In that terrain had stood since the 17th century the Pósito de la Villa, a big cereal warehouse with reserves to be used in times of shortage.
During the 20th century it was sold to the Transmediterranean Company and later to the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks. In 1976 it was declared "Historical-Artistic Monument", saving it from ruin and speculation. In 1989 it was sold by magnate Emiliano Revilla for 3,6 million Euro to the Instituto de Cooperación Hispanoamericana, the Town Hall and Madrid Autonomous Community to rehabilitate it (on a budget of more than 12 million Euro) and establish the Casa de América on it, where it currently resides.
Buildings along the West side of the Paseo (odd numbers)
In Recoletos (number 3) and right in front of the Palacio de Linares lies a six-storey office building built in 1975 and renovated in 2000 bought in July 2006 by Grupo Ballester. Numbers 7 and 9 consist of a building owned by magnate Alicia Koplowitz that currently houses the British Consul General among others.Next to it stands the Convent of San Pascual (or San Pascual Bailón), founded in 1683 by the Admiral of Castile, Juan Gaspar Enríquez de Cabrera for the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
order of San Pedro de Alcántara.
In 1836 during the Desamortización of Mendizábal
Juan Álvarez Mendizábal
Juan Álvarez Mendizábal, born Juan Álvarez Méndez , was a Spanish economist and politician....
the convent was transformed into a wood warehouse, until 1852, when the Franciscan nuns came back under the protection of Mariano Téllez Girón Beaufort, duke of Osuna and Medina de Rioseco.
Every Tuesday -19'00 h- is celebrated a service in the old Spanish liturgy (Gothic-Hispanic or Mozarabic Rite).
Nine years later it was expropriated by the Town Hall and demolished to enlarge the Paseo. In 1866 the current building was built by architect Juan J. Urquijo, and is inhabited by the nuns.
Number 13 is occupied by the Palace of Alcañices or Duque de Sesto. It was built in 1865 by architect Francisco de Cubas, a typical palatial residence of the high class of 19th century Isabelian
Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
Madrid. Seven years later the same architect built the next building (number 15), known as the Palace of López Dóriga, in the same style. And the block ends with the Houses of the Asociación Mutua Benéfica, built in 1869 also following the Isabelino style. It currently belongs to the Ministry of the Navy.
A modern crystal building stands out in number 19; it's Banco Pastor
Banco Pastor
Banco Pastor, S.A. is a Spanish bank. It is the second oldest banking institution in the country, after Banco Etcheverría.Founded in 1776 by Jaime Dalmau Batista as Jaime Dalmau y Cía , who had a shipping company operating between the port of A Coruña and several American ports...
's headquarters, built by Corrales and Molezún (1973/1975).
The Palace of Duchess of Mediana de las Torres stands in number 23, built on the terrain where it once was the Circo de Price (burned down in 1876, four years before). The two towers at both sides of the building were added in 1910. The Palace of Elduayen (one of the last ones of this period) was built next to it (number 25) and currently belongs to the Mapfre Insurance Company.