Calle de San Mateo, Madrid
Near the Iglesia de San Antonio de los Alemanes, Madrid
Calle de Gravina, Madrid
Malasaña, Madrid
Door & Lamppost, Madrid
Door & Graffiti, Madrid
Calle de San Justo, Madrid
Why the Name?
San Justo is the Spanish for Saint Justus. Justus and his friend, Pastor, were schoolboys in the early 4th century and lived near modern day Alcalá de Henares. Justus was 13 and Pastor was younger than 9.
As always in early Christian tales, their end was not a happy one. During the persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, the boys were flogged for reciting the catechism and then beheaded.
You’ll find a relief of the two saints on the exterior of the Basílica Pontificia de San Miguel.
Paseo de Recoletos, Madrid
This wide boulevard is the twin to the Paseo del Prado, which lies just to the south. Both were created during Charles III’s efforts to prettify the area.
Unfortunately, a lot of the Paseo’s best features—Art Nouveau cafés, trees, plazas, and book stalls—are overwhelmed by the constant din & belch of traffic. You can try walking down the pedestrian strip in the middle, but watch out for rogue buses.
Why the Name?
It owes its name to the Convento de los Agustinos Recoletos, a convent built in A.D. 1592. The convent stood where the Biblioteca now stands, so you’ll see a plaque on the library’s gates commemorating it. It was disentailed during the Ecclesiastical confiscations of Mendizábal in the early 19th century.
