Freelance Copywriting & Original Photography
Freelance Copywriting & Original Photography
The Biblioteca Nacional de España (“National Library of Spain”) is on the Paseo de Recoletos, near the Plaza de Colón. It’s the largest library in Spain and houses millions of books, maps, drawings, and photographs, including a first edition of Don Quixote that’s available in digital form. If you like history,
Continue readingBiblioteca Nacional de España | National Library of Spain, Madrid
Meet the Patron Saint of the Internet. Spain cherishes two saints named Isidore. The first, Isidore the Laborer, is the Patron Saint of Madrid. But this studious man outside the National Library of Spain is Isidore of Seville—”the last scholar of the ancient world.” Born around A.D. 560, Isidore came
Continue readingSan Isidoro, Biblioteca Nacional de España | National Library of Spain, Madrid
Parisians and Berliners may recognize the form, but the Puerta de Alcalá in the Plaza de la Independencia pre-dates the Arc de Triomphe and the Brandenburg Gate by at least 10 years. The gate was the pet project of Charles III (a.k.a. Carlos), my favorite Spanish king. His bulging nose and
Nicknamed the Lungs of Madrid, the Parque del Buen Retiro (“Park of the Pleasant Retreat”) is a place to breathe deep. It began its life as a royal retreat near the San Jerónimo el Real and gradually grew into a place of gardens and stately avenues near the Palacio del
If you were a king in Madrid, you needed to be on a horse. The figure on top of the Monumento a Alfonso XII (“Monument to Alfonso XII”) joins a long line of equestrian statues, including one of Philip III in the Plaza Mayor and Philip IV in front of
Continue readingMonumento a Alfonso XII, Estanque Grande del Buen Retiro
This quirky Baroque fountain is named after the artichoke that crowns its top. According to Emilio Guerra, the presence of the vegetable may be way of honoring its medicinal properties or as a symbol of fertility. But the main figures here are the backsides of the Triton and the Nereid
Continue readingFuente de Alcachofa | Fountain of the Artichoke in Buen Retiro, Madrid 1
The Parque del Buen Retiro (Retiro Park) has 15,000+ trees, including chestnuts, cedars, and the Ahuehuete (“Montezuma Cypress”). This is the oldest tree in the park (~A.D. 1630) and witnessed the Spanish War of Independence/Peninsular War.
The Palacio de Cristal del Retiro (“Glass Palace”) was built in A.D. 1887 for the Exposition of the Philippines. Originally, it was intended to be a greenhouse full of tropical plants. Ricardo Velázquez Bosco had an English example in mind for the design—it’s not as tall or wide as the
Continue readingPalacio de Cristal | Glass Palace in Buen Retiro, Madrid 1
