Elmira College Spain 2013: Our First Day in Madrid

We’ve been a little behind in updating the blog since we have been extremely busy this weekend visiting Madrid, the capital of Spain! On Saturday morning (May 4th) the group woke up very early to catch the 7:30 bus ride to Madrid! Upon arrival, we dropped our suitcases at the hotel Madrileño and then began our tour of the Old Madrid! Riccardo (our program director and guide), led the tour and taught us how to use the metro system to travel throughout the city.

Our first stop on the tour was Puerta del Sol, a plaza very similar to Times Square in New York City with many shops and cafés. This plaza also holds the Casa del Presidente de Madrid, where the head official of Madrid works. During the period of the Franco dictatorship in the mid to late 20th century, this building was a prison for many people who suffered under the hand of the dictator. Atop this building is a large clock that is of great significance during the New Years celebration in Madrid. When the clock strikes midnight on January 1^st of the new year, it is Spanish tradition to eat one grape for each ring of the clock to bring in the new year.

After visiting Puerta del Sol, our group headed down a popular street for shopping in the direction of Palacio Real (Royal Palace). Before reaching the palace, we passed by an old church and a large theater. Palacio Real was built in the mid-18^th century. It is located on the grounds of the 9^th century fortress, maryit, which was then turned into the old Alcázar (Castle) in the 16^th century. When it burned in the 1730s, kind Philip V ordered the construction of a new palace, Palacio Real. Its front contains a large fountain and the sides of the palace hold an abundance of greenery and landscaping. Although this grand building is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, it is only used for state ceremonies and King Juan Carlos and his family do not actually live there.

Shortly after observing the lovely classic baroque-styled palace, our group traveled down the street to see the Catedral Santa Maria Real de la Almudena (Almudena Cathedral). Construction of this cathedral began in the late 19^th century and was not completed until 1993. Due to the long period of time in which the cathedral was built, it contains many different styles. The outside evokes a baroque-style, while the interior is more Gothic and the crypt beneath it, which was the first part of the cathedral built, has a Romanesque style. We were able to go inside both the cathedral and the crypt where we viewed the grandiose aspects of Catholicism in Spain. The inside of the Cathedral had a very colorful ceiling with many patterns, and held one of the largest organs I have ever seen. In the crypt, it was interesting to see the tombs of members of the Roman Catholic Church and the detailed decor as well.

Our next stop was in Plaza de la Villa. In this case, Villa means village or small town, which makes sense since this Plaza is where the city of Madrid began as a smaller village. It contains the oldest building in Madrid, Torre de los Lujanes (Lujanes Tower), which was constructed in the 15^th century. From this plaza, we moved on to the Plaza Mayor, which was constructed beginning in the early 17^th century. This plaza, an enclosed rectangle surrounded by an abundance of apartment buildings with balconies, is normally used for large public events such as bull fights and was used in the past for the Inquisition. It was exciting to see the abundance of people in the Plaza Mayor. We even saw a small protest, of mostly older people, walking around the plaza.

By the end of the visit to the Plaza Mayor, our group began making its way to the Parque de Retiro (Retiro Park) to eat lunch. This large park contains an abundance of greenery, interesting trees and gardens, and a large pond with a fountain, where you can rent rowboats. We were able to get ice cream at one of the many food kiosks in the park. Most of the people either walk the paths within the park or just relax in the patches of grass to enjoy the sun.

After lunch, we headed to the Prado, one of the most famous art museums in the world! In the museum, we split up into groups to walk around and look at all of the amazing classical artwork. As directed by our teacher, we focused mainly on painters like Goya, Velásquez, El Bosco, and Greco. We were unable to take photos of the paintings, but it was an amazing experience to see such old pieces of artwork depicting many different aspects of Spanish history and culture. The group tended to like the famous painting “Las Meninas” by Velásquez, a very large, intricate painting that depicts various artistic dimensions. After a day full of experience, learning, and walking, we were allowed some free time in Madrid. Most of the group decided to go see a Real Madrid soccer game against the Barcelona team (Madrid won!), while others went shopping near Puerta del Sol. Both were a great end to our first day in Madrid!