Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Our First Big Day: Exploring Madrid!

By Jemma Salisbury

Today was our class’s first full day abroad. Our two main activities were visiting the Museo del Prado and taking a walking tour of the city. Let’s dig in!

While the Prado Museum did not allow pictures to be taken, I took note of some of my favorite pieces while walking around the museum, sketching in my notebook while listening to an audio tour provided by the museum. Some examples were Saturn Devouring his Son, by Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1636), and The Triumph of Bacchus by Diego Velázquez (c. 1628-9). The building housing the collection consisted of three huge floors of mainly paintings, with a few statue annexes and classical furniture pieces interspersed in the collection. The sheer size of the halls, covered in the work of the masters, felt grandiose and surreal.

Our walking tour, conducted by Walkative Tours (which I highly recommend!) led us in a large circle around the city center. We met at the Royal Theater, built in 1850, and from there, made our way to the Royal Palace of Madrid. The biggest palace of Western Europe, its rear entrance opens onto the Plaza de Oriente. Above the fountain in the plaza sits a bronze statue of King Philip IV (r. 1621-1655). It is a unique monument, as it was rare in the 17th century for such a large statue to have little to no supports.

Across from the main entrance of the Palace sits the Almudena Cathedral, built over the span of a century (1883-1993) so that it displays a large mix of architectural styles, from a Neo-Classical exterior to a Romanesque interior.

Next, we visited the Plaza dela Villa, the first main square of Madrid, with surrounding buildings constructed in the 15th century. The location of Madrid’s city hall from the 17th century until 2007, it was built during the reign of the Austrian royal family of Hapsburgs. This plaza and other contemporaneous structures characterize “Hapsburg Madrid” through their tall roofs and more modest architecture. This style is also reflected in the 17th-century square Plaza Mayor, which used to host public markets and even trials during the Spanish Inquisition, now a popular tourist destination.

On the other hand, the Puerta del Sol, in the heart of the city center, reflects the vision that the Bourbon monarchy had for Spain. Bringing their French tastes to Madrid in the 18th century, their style involves larger buildings with more ornately decorated facades.

All of these landmarks represent something unique about European cities, Madrid in particular, which is the incorporation of history into modern life; all of these historic streets and buildings are maintained for the public, hosting modern clothing stores and grocers in centuries-old architectural masterpieces. It was truly a magical thing to experience.

After experiencing Madrid today, I have so many more questions about the city. How do Madrid’s citizens experience the interaction between Hapsburg and Bourbon architecture? How does the layout of the city — historical buildings interspersed with evidence of modern-day life — contribute to Madrid’s continuing urban identity, projected and perceived? Lastly, how does having access to these historic buildings and neighborhoods change a resident’s relation or connection to their geographical and societal past?

I hope I get to explore these thoughts more in the days to come!