Paseo de la Castellana Flashcards
Paseo de la Castellana
This avenue is the main North-South axis of the city, named after the old Castellana Fountain that in olden days was located at was is now Emilio Castelar Square. It fed a stream that flowed south toward the city and had “extremely cold waters’’ according to Miguel de Cervantes.
The stream, which was originally used as a dump for waste, was finally channeled in 1807. The first stretch of the street was inaugurated in 1833 (from the Gate of Recoletos to the Fuente Castellana) was built following the western (right) bank of the stream. It was originally named Paseo de las Delicias de la Princesa and Paseo de las Delicias de Isabel II after Princess/Queen Isabella, although it was popularly known as Paseo de la Fuente Castellana.
José de Salamanca y Mayol, 1st Marquis of Salamanca and Grandee of Spain (23 May 1811 – 21 January 1883)
He was a Spanish nobleman, politician and businessman. He served as Finance Minister of Spain and briefly as de facto prime minister in 1847.
Prominent during the reign of Isabella II, he was responsible for an extension to the city of Madrid; the Salamanca neighborhood of that city now bears his name. He had an adventurous life with many ups and downs. At one time he probably had the largest fortune in Spain.His prominent associates included Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, queen mother and regent for the young Queen Isabella. As a businessman, he undertook many projects that shaped modern Spain: railways, construction of entire neighborhoods, banking and investments; at the same time, he was associated with no small amount of political and corporate corruption.
Barrio de Salamanca
In the first half of the 19th century, Madrid still had an old defensive wall that dated back to 1625 during the reign of Habsbourg king Philip IV, and the old wall was blocking the city’s growth.
So the Minister of Public Works and Transportation Claudio Moyano got the government and Queen Isabella II on board to** tear down the walls in 1860** and expand the city (Plan Castro). A nobleman, politician and real estate developer known as the Marquis of Salamanca created this entire neighborhood to the north of what was then Madrid, and so it is now known as the Salamanca District. It was completely urbanized by 1927.
Since its creation the Salamanca district has grown into one of the wealthiest areas in Madrid and some of its streets, such as Goya or Serrano, are some of the most expensive streets in Spain.
Plaza de Colón
The plaza, originally called Plaza de Santiago (St. James Square), was renamed Plaza de Colón in 1893 to honor Christopher Columbus. The square contains three main monuments.
ESTATUA DE COLÓN: The statue commemorates Christopher Columbus.
It was originally promoted by Queen Isabella II in 1864, although the 1868 Glorious Revolution and the expulsion of the Queen from Spain aborted the project. The idea was later resumed to serve as the commemoration of the upcoming marriage between Alfonso XII and María de las Mercedes. The 17-meter high basement was built from 1881 to 1885. It was intended to be inaugurated on 4 January 1886, yet the death of the monarch aborted the event.
The 3.30 m high statue, made out of Carrara marble by Jerónimo Suñol featuring Columbus holding a flag of Castile, was delivered to the Ayuntamiento de Madrid in 1892.
The monument was dismantled in 1976 and moved a year later to a nearby location in the Jardines del Descubrimiento. It returned to its original location in 2009, in the context of the renovation of the Prado–Recoletos axis.
EL DESCUBRIMIENTO by JOAQUÍN VAQUERO TURCIOS: The concrete sculptures are a Monument to the Discovery of America and are decorated with inscriptions by philosophers and indigenous leaders from the American continent.
SPANISH FLAG: Since Spain’s National Day in 2001, the world’s largest Spanish flag—14m x 21m (46 x 69 ft)—294 square meters (3164 square feet)—has flown from a flagpole in Plaza de Colón that is 50 m (164 ft) high.
The flag originally cost €378,000. It was replaced in January, 2016 at a cost of €400,000.
OTHER FEATURES: PLATEA, TEATRO FERNÁN GÓMEZ, JARDINES DEL DESCUBRIMIENTO
The gardens in the plaza are known as the Jardines del Descubrimiento (Gardens of Discovery), where the Royal Mint was located until 1970.
Underneath the large cascading fountain you’ll find one of Madrid’s main municipal theaters called the: Teatro Fernán Gómez.
At the other side of the Plaza are the twin Torres de Colón. The Platea Madrid gourmet food hall is located on the square at Calle de Goya 5–7.
