Madrid from 27/09 to 29/09: Asmik Grigorian, a moving Desdemona

On 25 July 2021 Madrid was named a World Heritage Site. An area that includes 200 ha , mainly the Madrid of the Bourbons and the Retiro Park . It offers a variety of visits of all kinds, including the history of this part of the city and its monuments, the literature and theatre of the Golden Century, modern architecture (through the museums in this area, Thyssen, Prado, Reina Sofia, Caixa Forum ... not forgetting the Atocha station), the history of hospitals, and above all ‘the first urban Alameda created in the 16th century’ (a walk lined with poplars). A unique and exclusive visit.

On this tour, we will not only visit the streets full of history, but also the historic squares such as Puerta del Sol, Plaça Mayor, Villa, Isabel II, Oriente... the exteriors of the monasteries of las Descalzas Reales, de la Encarnacion, de las Carboneras... the Royal Palace, the Cathedral, the Opera House, Saint Michael's Market (Miguel)... in short, the essence of old Madrid, giving us the opportunity to learn about the history of Madrid and why it became the country's capital.

This literary quarter is organised around the Plaza de Santa Ana, a former 15th-century suburb and bohemian quarter during the era of Cervantes, Lope de Vega and Quevedo, writers who represented the Golden Age of Spanish literature in the 17th century. This visit will also enable us to discover the history and origins of Spanish theatre. The house of Lope de Vega, the monastery where Cervantes is buried and his various residences.

Two former 16th-century suburbs that are also part of Madrid's recent modern history.  Nowadays, they are considered to be Madrid's trendiest districts, full of life and atmosphere. Chueca, for example, is one of the hotspots of Madrid's nightlife, particularly popular with the homosexual community. The Malasaña district will remind us of the famous ‘Movida’ of the 80s and the fascinating period of transition to democracy, ‘The Transition’, full of details unknown to the general public. In short, a visit that mixes historic places, legends and current events, the House of the Seven Chimneys (a rare building from the 16th century intact in one of Madrid's suburbs), the Las Salesas Reales church, the Palacio de Longoria (a monument in the Gaudi or Modernist style), the former hospice, now the city museum.