Page 297 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

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t Congreso de
los Diputados
Plaza de las Cortes. Map 7 B2.
Tel 91 390 65 25.  Sevilla.
Open by appt only. 9am–2:30pm
& 4–6:30pm Mon–Thu, 9am–1:30pm
Fri. ^ 7 ∑ congreso.es
This imposing yet attractive
building is home to the Span­
ish parliament, the Cortes. Built
in the mid­19th century, it
is characterized by Classical
columns, heavy ped iments and
guardian bronze lions. It was
here, in 1981, that Colonel
Tejero of the Civil Guard held
the deputies at gunpoint on
Sunlit balcony of the magnificent Teatro Español national televi sion, as he tried
to spark off a military coup (see
w Real Academia Villanueva. Engraved on it are p72). His failure was seen as an
de la Historia the names of great Spanish indica tion that democracy was
dramatists, including that of now firmly established in Spain.
Calle León 21. Map 7 A3. celebrated writer Federico
Tel 91 429 06 11.  Antón Martín. García Lorca (see p39).
^ Closed to the public. ∑ rah.es
r Ateneo de
The Royal Academy of History is
an austere brick building built Madrid
by Juan de Villanueva in 1788. Calle del Prado 21. Map 7 B3.
Its location, in the so­called Tel 91 429 17 50.  Antón Martín,
Barrio de las Letras (Writers’ Sevilla. Open by appt 10am–1pm
Quarter), is apt. Mon–Fri. 8 only.
In 1898, the intellectual and ∑ ateneodemadrid.com
bibliophile, Marcelino Menéndez
Pelayo, became di rector of the Formally founded in 1835, this
academy, living here until his learned association is similar to
death in 1912. The library holds a gentle men’s club in atmos­
more than 200,000 books. phere, with a grand stairway Bronze lion guarding the Cortes
The building is closed to the and panelled hall hung with
public and can only be viewed the portraits of famous fellows.
from the outside. Closed down during past y Café Gijón
periods of repress ion and Paseo de Recoletos 21. Map 5 C5.
dictatorship, it is a main stay of
e Teatro Español liberal thought in Spain. Many Tel 91 521 54 25.  Banco de España.
Open 7:30am–1:30am daily. 7
leading Socialists are mem bers, ∑ cafegijon.com
Calle del Príncipe 25. Map 7 A3.
Tel 91 360 14 80.  Sol, Sevilla. along with writers and other
Open per formances from 7pm Tue– Spanish intellectuals. Madrid’s bustling café life (see
Sun. & 7 ∑ teatroespanol.es pp324–5) was one of the most
attractive features of the city
Dominating the Plaza Santa from the turn of the 20th
Ana is the Teatro Español, one century, right up to the
of Madrid’s oldest and most outbreak of the Civil War. Of
beautiful theatres. From 1583 the many intellectuals’ cafés
many of Spain’s finest plays, which once thrived, only the
by leading dramatists of the Gijón survives. Today the café
time such as Lope de Rueda, continues to attract a lively
were first performed in the crowd of literati. With its
Corral del Príncipe, which cream­painted wrought­iron
originally stood on this site. columns and black and white
In 1802 this was replaced by tabletops, it is perhaps better
the Teatro Español. The Neo­ known for its atmos phere
Classical façade, with pilasters Carving on the façade of the Ateneo and emanating history than
and medallions, is by Juan de de Madrid for its appearance.

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