Madrid of the Habsburgs

Introduction to Madrid of the Habsburgs

The city of Madrid is made for walking. There are many of us living here and we walk through her a thousand and one different ways. One of the most interesting walks is through the old city: Madrid of the Habsburgs.

Itinerary

Plaza Mayor – Plaza de la Villa – Calle Mayor – Plaza de Ramales – Plaza de Oriente

The Habsburgs established their dynasty around this area. Here they founded the capital of the realm in 1561.

On a guided visit discover the reasons why the Crown chose Madrid. Was it the forests? Its plentiful supply of water? Or did Philip II have ulterior political motives?

As a result, get to know Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses and the ordinary men and women of the Habsburg dynasty.

Baroque and the renaissance

So when we talk about the 16th and 17th centuries we are speaking about the renaissance and the baroque style. Architects Francisco de Mora and his nephew Juan Gómez de Mora were masters of this style. In fact, they worked in the Madrid Alcazar, today our Royal Palace. Furthermore, they built the Casa del Tesoro right beside the royal residence. That is where Velazquez, the Baroque master, kept his workshop.

The transformation from simple country estate to royal court made Madrid a passionate city. Such was the explosive growth that housing became a serious problem. We hear the phrase “royalty room” used at this time. It means that there was an obligation to give lodging to those belonging to the court.

As a result, the royal court was no longer itinerant. Moreover, we hear talk now of the roguish character of the Madrilenians.

The convents

Consequently, to speak of Madrid of the Habsburgs (or the Austrians if you prefer) is to talk of the Catholic religion. In fact, during the dynasty, the Cloth and Royalty were bound very closely. As a result, the construction of auspicious convents by the nobility were the norm. Accordingly, they left fantastic examples of these convents. The Monasterio de la Encarnación o The Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales are two prime examples. Visit both on a guided tour with an official tour guide: me. The history of these convents and who lived there forms a very important part of Spanish culture. Contemplate their works of art undertaken by the best artists of the epoch. Through these works, we discover the spirit of that particular society.

The guided tour ranges from Carlos I until the last of the Austrian kings, Carlos II. We will take in a fantastic walk through the entire dynasty and will see how it ended. This can only be done by walking though the Madrid of the Habsburgs.