Museo de Historia de Madrid
Set in a former hospital with an exuberant Baroque façade by Pedro de Ribera, this free museum traces the evolution of Madrid since it became the national capital in 1561. Its exhibits showcase many of the landmarks you’ll be visiting: Plaza Mayor through the ages (where the only thing that seems to change is the style of people’s clothes); a representation of the mock naval battles that once took place on the ponds of El Retiro park; and a fascinating wooden scale model of the city’s topography from 1830. It is worth the trip just to see Goya’s famous Allegory of the City of Madrid. When first painted in 1810, the female personification of the city pointed to an oval picture frame portraying the new king, Joseph Bonaparte. In 1812 he was painted out in favor of the word “Constitución”, honoring Spain’s fledgling democracy. When Bonaparte returned, he had to be painted back in. Eventually, after a hokey pokey of changes, the words “Dos de Mayo” were painted into the frame, in memory of the uprising against the French on May 2, 1808.
Set in a former hospital with an exuberant Baroque façade by Pedro de Ribera, this free museum traces the evolution of Madrid since it became the national capital in 1561. Its exhibits showcase many of the landmarks you’ll be visiting: Plaza Mayor through the ages (where the only thing that seems to change is the style of people’s clothes); a representation of the mock naval battles that once took place on the ponds of El Retiro park; and a fascinating wooden scale model of the city’s topography from 1830. It is worth the trip just to see Goya’s famous Allegory of the City of Madrid. When first painted in 1810, the female personification of the city pointed to an oval picture frame portraying the new king, Joseph Bonaparte. In 1812 he was painted out in favor of the word “Constitución”, honoring Spain’s fledgling democracy. When Bonaparte returned, he had to be painted back in. Eventually, after a hokey pokey of changes, the words “Dos de Mayo” were painted into the frame, in memory of the uprising against the French on May 2, 1808.
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