Last updated on .
Retiro is a beautiful area lying east of the historic center of Madrid. Aside from recreational opportunities, it’s also the city’s hub of art, culture, and science.
Introduction to Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro
Paseo del Prado and Parque del Retiro trace their origins back to the 16th century. Paseo del Prado is a tree-lined boulevard while Parque del Retiro is a huge urban park that was once private property of the Spanish monarchy.
In the 18th century, buildings dedicated to the arts, sciences, and culture popped up throughout the area, especially in the beautiful neighborhood of Jerónimos and along Calle del Alcalá. The entire area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2021, as Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences.
Aside from the architecture, some of the most important museums in Spain as well as other attractions can be found in Retiro. It’s a fantastic place to spend a day relaxing and passing the time away.
Parque del Retiro
The entire area is centered around Parque del Retiro. It was the property of the Spanish monarchy from 1505 until it became a public park in 1868. The park covers 1.4 square kilometers (350 acres) and contains gardens, galleries, monuments, playgrounds, sports venues, and an artificial lake. I have yet to thoroughly visit but will spend more time there on my next trip. I’ll update this post when I do.
Jerónimos
Jerónimos is the neighborhood between Paseo del Prado and Parque del Retiro. It contains several important buildings dedicated to the arts, sciences, and culture. It’s also one of the most exclusive residential areas in Madrid and boasts the city’s highest real estate prices. Parque del Retiro is included with the boundaries of Jerónimos.
Church of San Jerónimo el Real
The neighborhood is named for the Church of San Jerónimo el Real (Iglesia de San Jerónimo el Real). It was built between 1502 and 1505 as part of a Hieronymite monastery that once stood next to the royal palace of Buen Retiro.
The original Hieronymite monastery was on the banks of the Manzanares River, but the land was too marshy and monks were falling ill. In 1502, Queen Isabel I granted a plot of land next to Parque el Retiro to build a new monastery and church. After the church was completed, it served as a royal chapel.
In 1808, the monks were expelled from the monastery and French troops converted it to a barracks. This caused major damage and nearly destroyed the church. Queen Isabel II commissioned architect Narciso Pascual Colomer (1808-1870) to restore the church, which took place between 1848 and 1859. A second restoration from 1879 to 1883, under Enrique María Repullés (1845-1922), converted it to a parish church.
The nave of the Church of San Jerónimo el Real is beautifully decorated with important sculptures by Mariano Benlliure (1862-1947), and Juan Pascual de Mena (1707-1784). There are also paintings by Vincenzo Carducci (1576-1638) and José Méndez .
Royal Spanish Academy
North of the church are the headquarters of the Royal Spanish Academy (Real Academia Española). It was founded on August 3, 1713, with the purpose of ensuring the stability of the Spanish language. The building was constructed in 1894. It sits on a small plaza with a monument to Princess María Cristina de Borbón.
Casón del Buen Retiro
Opposite is the Casón del Buen Retiro. It was built in 1637 as a ballroom (Salón de Baile) for the Palace of Buen Retiro and is one of the palace’s two surviving buildings. Today, it serves as an annex of the Prado Museum, housing a study center and library. The photo below shows the west façade, which was reconstructed by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco (1843-1923) in the late 19th century.
Prado Museum
In front of the Church of San Jerónimo el Real is the Prado Museum (Museo Nacional del Prado), Spain’s national art museum. The building was commissioned by Carlos III and designed in 1785 by Juan de Villanueva (1739-1811) as the Natural History Cabinet (Real Gabinete de Historia Natural), but it was never used as such. The building sat empty until Queen María Isabel de Braganza convinced Fernando VII to use it as the Royal Museum of Paintings (Museo Real de Pinturas). It opened to the public in November 1819 and eventually was renamed the Prado Museum in 1868.
The Prado is among the world’s most visited art museums. It boasts a collection of European art from the 12th through early 20th century, based on the former Spanish royal collection. About 1,300 pieces are exhibited at any one time while over 3,000 are on loan to other institutions. The remainder of the collection, which numbers over 20,000 pieces, is in storage. Some very important works of art are displayed there, but I’ll have to visit on another trip when I have more time. General admission is €15, €7.50 for people over 65, and free for anyone under 18 (as of August 2024).
Plaza de Murillo
South of the Prado is Plaza de Murillo, which features a central garden divided into four wedges. In the center is a statue of painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682) created in 1859 by sculptor Sabino Medina y Peñas (1812-1888).
Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid
On the south side of Plaza de Murillo, you’ll find the gates to the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid (Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid), which was founded on October 17, 1755, by Fernando VI. Architects Francesco Sabatini (1721-1797) and Juan de Villanueva (1739-1811) organized the garden into three terraces.
The mission of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid was to display plants, teach botany, and encourage expeditions to discover new species. It originally consisted of over 2,000 plants collected by botanist and doctor José Quer y Martínez (1695-1764). The collection was boosted by the addition of over 10,000 plants brought to Spain by Alessandro Malaspina (1754-1810) in 1794. Today, the garden consists of seven sections and five greenhouses. There are over 90,000 plants and flowers and over 1,500 trees.
General admission to the garden is €4 (as of August 2024). Admission is free every Tuesday from 10am to 1pm. There are also guided tours available for €8 on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays at 11am and 12:30pm (as of August 2024).
Fomento Palace
On the south side of Paseo del Prado at Plaza del Emperador Carlos V, also known as Plaza de Atocha, is the Fomento Palace (Palacio de Fomento). It was designed by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco (1843-1923), and built between 1893 and 1897 as the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Today, it serves as the Ministry of Agriculture. Guided tours are available for €2 at 12pm on Saturdays and Sundays (as of August 2024). Tours with guides in period costume take place at 8pm every Friday and Saturday evening for €8 (as of August 2024). All tours should be reserved in advance via the official website.
Reina Sofia Museum
Across the plaza is the Reina Sofia Museum (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía), which is Spain’s national museum of 20th century art. It opened on September 10, 1992, and like the Prado, it’s one of the world’s most visited art museums. General admission is €12 or free for anyone under 18 or over 65 (as of August 2024). It’s open daily except Tuesdays. Admission is free every night from 7pm to 9pm and on Sundays from 12:30pm to 2:30pm.
The 18th century building once served as the General Hospital of Madrid (Hospital General de Madrid), which was designed by architect José de Hermosilla (1715-1776) and Francisco Sabatini (1721-1797). It’s now the home of some of the most important works by Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) among other Spanish and international artists. I wasn’t allowed, but I snapped a photo of Picasso’s Guernica, which is the main reason I visited the museum.
Calle de Alcalá
Calle de Alcalá is the longest street in Madrid. A stretch of it runs along the north side of Parque del Retiro west towards Gran Vía. There are a handful of important buildings along the stretch, and they’re all included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro.
Puerta de Alcalá
First is Puerta de Alcalá, which sits at the northwest corner of the Parque del Retiro. This triumphal arch was inaugurated in 1778 as a gate on the Walls of Felipe IV. It was commissioned by King Carlos III and designed by Francesco Sabatini (1721-1797). It replaced an older, smaller gate nearby.
Plaza de Cibeles
Continuing west, Plaza de Cibeles is one of the most important and scenic plazas in Madrid. It makes up the intersection of Calle de Alcalá, Paseo del Prado, and Paseo de Recoletos. The original name was Plaza de Madrid, which changed to Plaza de Castellar in 1900. It eventually changed to the current name.
The plaza dates back to 1570 and was at the intersection of three tree-lined boulevards. The first major renovations took place in 1782 under Carlos III, when gardens and the Fountain of Cybele were added. Further changes were made in the late 19th and early 20th century with the addition of the buildings around the plaza.
Fountain of Cybele
The centerpiece of the plaza is the Fountain of Cybele (Fuente de Cibeles). It was commissioned and designed by Ventura Rodríguez (1717-1785) and built between 1777 and 1782. The fountain is crowned by a marble statue of Cybele riding a chariot pulled by Atalanta and Hippomenes in the form of two lions. Francisco Gutiérrez (1727-1782) sculpted Cybele while the lions were made by Roberto Michel (1720-1786). The fountain was originally placed on the side of the plaza but moved to its current location in the center in 1895.
Cybele Palace
There are four buildings lining Plaza de Cibeles. The most prominent is Cybele Palace (Palacio de Cibeles), which sits at the southeast corner. Construction started on September 12, 1907, and the building opened on March 14, 1919, as the Palace of Communications (Palacio de Comunicaciones). It was originally the headquarters of Correos, Spain’s national postal service. Since 2007, it has been the home of the Madrid City Council, which relocated there from Casa de la Villa and Casa de Cisneros. It’s was designed by Antonio Palacios (1874-1945) and Joaquín Otamendi (1874-1960) and is one of the city’s most beautiful structures
Some of the best views of Madrid can be found from the building at the Mirador Palacio de Cibeles. General admission is €3 (as of August 2024). It’s open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 1:45pm and 3pm to 7:30pm. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations during my latest visit.
Linares Palace
On the northeast corner is the Linares Palace (Palacio de Linares), which was built between 1877 and 1900. It was originally the home of José de Murga y Reolid, 1st Marquises of Linares (1833-1902). The building was designed by Carlos Colubí Parra in 1877 and has four floors. It’s decorated with the finest furnishings.
After suffering heavy damage during the Spanish Civil War, the building was set to be demolished. It was saved in 1976 after being declared a historical monument. It sat unused until 1992, when it was remodeled and occupied by Casa de América, an important cultural center with the aim of strengthening ties between Spain and countries in the Americas. Guided visits take place at set times from Friday through Sunday. Adult admission is €8, and €5 for anyone under 16 or over 65 (as of August 2024).
Bank of Spain
The Bank of Spain (Banco de España) is on the southwest corner. Built between 1884 and 1891, this massive building contains the offices of the country’s banking system. It was designed by Eduardo Adaro (1848-1906) and Severiano Sainz de la Lastra (1823-1884).
Buenavista Palace
Across the street on the northwest corner is Buenavista Palace (Palacio Buenavista). It was commissioned in 1777 by María Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba (1762-1802) to replace an older, smaller palace. The building was designed by Juan Pedro Arnal (1735-1805).
In 1807, the property was expropriated to the Spanish monarchy. During his reign as King of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte decided to convert it to the Josefino Museum (Museo Josefino), a museum of paintings, but those plans were abandoned after his abdication in 1813.
The palace was given to the army in 1816 and became the Ministry of War (Ministerio de la Guerra) in 1847. Since 1981, it has been the headquarters of the Spanish armed forces. The building isn’t visible because the view is blocked by several trees as well as the setting further back from the road.
Cervantes Institute
West of Plaza de Cibeles are a few more interesting buildings. First, on the north side of the street is the Caryatid Building (Edificio de Las Cariátides), which has housed the Cervantes Institute (Instituto Cervantes) since October 2006. The building was built between 1911 and 1918 by architects Antonio Palacios (1874-1945) and Joaquín Otamendi and originally functioned as a bank.
The Cervantes institute was founded in 1991 by the Spanish government and named after Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), the author of Don Quixote. It’s the world’s largest organization dedicated to the promotion of Spanish language and culture.
Church of San José
Next is the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration (Ministerio de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas), followed by the Church of San José (Iglesia de San José). The current church was built between 1730 and 1748 to replace an older church on the site and was once part of the Convent of San Hermenegildo (Convento de San Hermenegildo). It was designed by Pedro de Ribera (1681-1742). The buildings of the Carmelite convent were destroyed in 1910 to make way for the construction of Gran Vía. Interestingly, in 1614 in the original church, Spanish playwright Lope de Vega (1562-1635) celebrated his first mass after being ordained a priest.
Edificio Zurich
On the south side of the street is the Edificio Zurich, which has seven floors and was completed in 1942. It served as the Francoist headquarters until 1977 and was later converted to mixed residential, office, and retail space. The building is currently being renovated to serve as a luxury hotel expected to open in 2026 (as of August 2024).
Circle of Fine Arts
Next door is the Circle of Fine Arts (Círculo de Bellas Artes). It was designed by Antonio Palacios (1874-1945) and built between 1921 and 1926. The Circle of Fine Arts is a private non-profit cultural organization founded in 1880. The building hosts art exhibitions, workshops, and conferences, and features a rooftop terrace café with excellent views of Madrid.
North of Retiro
North of Retiro and Plaza de Cibeles are a few plazas I walked through. Honestly, I can’t fit them anywhere else in the blog so I figured this is a good spot.
Plaza de Colón
First is Plaza de Colón, where you’ll find the Monument to Columbus. It was dedicated in 1885 and depicts Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) standing atop a column. The statue was made by Jerónimo Suñol (1839-1902) and stands 3.3 meters high. The plaza was originally named Plaza de Santiago and renamed in 1893 to honor Columbus.
Since 2001, the world’s largest Spanish flag has flown at the plaza. It measures 14 x 21 meters (46 x 69 feet) and sits atop a flagpole 50 meters (164 feet) high.
Plaza de Alonso Martínez
Walking northwest from Plaza de Colón down Calle de Génova is Plaza de Alonso Martínez. It’s named for politician Manuel Alonso Martínez (1827-1891).
