Page 292 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

290  M ADRID

1 Hotel Ritz by a symbol of Madrid. Around
Belmond the square rise four important
buildings. The most impressive
Plaza de la Lealtad 5. Map 7 C2. are the town hall, where the
Tel 91 701 67 67.  Banco de España. mayor has his office, and the
^ 7 ∑ ritz.es See also p569.
main post office, the Palacio de
Comunicaciones, also home to
A few minutes’ walk from the a cultural centre, CentroCentro.
Prado, this hotel is said to be Its appearance – white, with
Spain’s most extravagant. It was high pinnacles – is often likened
part of the new breed of hotels to a wedding cake. It was built
constructed as luxury accommo- between 1905 and 1917 on
dation for the wedding guests the site of former gardens.
of Alfonso XIII in 1906. On the northeast side is
There is a dress code in the the stone façade of the Palacio
hotel’s public areas. Each room de Linares, built by the Marquis
is beautifully decorated in a Visitors admiring the works of art in the of Linares at the time of the
different style, with carpets Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza second Bourbon restoration of
made by hand at the Real 1875 (see p68). Once threatened
Fábrica de Tapices (see p310). 3 Museo Thyssen- with demo lition, the palace was
At the start of the Civil War Bornemisza reprieved and converted into the
(see pp70–71) the hotel was Casa de América, and now hosts
converted into a hospital, and See pp292–3. art exhibitions by Latin American
it was here that the Anarchist artists as well as theatrical
leader Buenaventura Durruti performances and lectures. Take
died of his wounds in 1936. 4 Plaza de Cibeles a break in the palace gardens
and try one of Le Cabrera’s
Map 7 C1.  Banco de España. excellent cocktails (see p593).
Casa de América exhibition room:
Tel 91 595 48 00. Open 9am–3pm & In the northwest corner of the
4–8pm Mon–Fri. Closed Aug & public Plaza de Cibeles, surround ed by
hols. 8 11am, noon, 1pm Sat & Sun. attractive gardens, is the heavily
∑ casamerica.es guarded Army Head quarters,
which is housed in the buildings
The Plaza de Cibeles is one of the former Palacio de Buena-
of Madrid’s best-known and vista. Commissioned by the
most beautiful landmarks. Duchess of Alba in 1777, const-
The Fuente de Cibeles stands ruction was twice delayed by fire.
in the middle of the busy traf fic On the opposite corner is the
island at the junc tion of the Paseo Banco de España, constru cted
del Prado and the Calle de Alcalá. between 1884 and 1891. Its
This sculpted fountain is named design was inspired by the
after Cybele, the Greco-Roman Venetian Renaissance style,
The Fuente de Neptuno goddess of nature, and shows her with delicate ironwork adorn ing
sitting in her lion-drawn chariot. the roof and windows. Much-
2 Plaza Cánovas Design ed by José Hermosilla and needed renovation work has
del Castillo Ventura Rodríguez in the late returned the bank to its late
18th century, it is considered 19th-century magnificence.
Map 7 C3.  Banco de España.
This busy roundabout is named
after Antonio Cánovas del
Castillo, one of the leading
statesmen of 19th-century
Spain (see p68), who was
assassinated in 1897.
Dominating the plaza is the
Fuente de Neptuno – a fountain
with a statue depict ing
Neptune in his chariot, being
pulled by two horses. The
statue was designed in 1777
by Ventura Rodríguez as part
of Carlos III’s scheme to
beautify eastern Madrid. The Fuente de Cibeles, with the Palacio de Linares in the background
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp568–9 and pp591–3

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
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Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm