Madrid Historic with an architect : Arabs, Austrias and Bourbons
Description
We propose that you learn more about the origins of the city from the urban, historical and architectural point of view since the arabs founded it at the end of the 9th century, following with the conquest of the city by Alfonso VI of Castilla in the 11th century or the moment when Felipe II decided to fix the capital in Madrid, in 1561. We will begin in front of the Royal Palace, reviewing its history since the Arabs built the Alcázar, the defensive castle when Madrid was founded till the moment Felipe V ordered to built the Royal Palace as we know today. From there, we will learn more about the history of the Cathedral and the the new Royal Collections Museum designed by Tuñón and Mansilla. We will enjoy the only rests we have of the Arab Wall. Crossing the Viaduct of Segovia, we will enjoy the views of the forest called Casa de Campo, the green lung, three times bigger than Central Park, the King’s private hunting site until 1931 and a Civil War front, stopping at a viewpoint from which we will enjoy the views of part of the cornice of Madrid. We will continue the walk trough, walking throught these old small streets and squares we will arrive to the Square of Puerta Cerrada, one of the old gates of the old city. San Miguel Market will be other of one stops where you could have a drink and tapas after visiting Plaza de la Villa where the old City Hall of the city is located. From there you will learn the history of Plaza Mayor, the best example of castillians squares, built 400 years ago.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will enjoy the building, reviewing the history of the Opeara Theater
We will learn the urban development of the Square from the arabs till today,
We will admire every facade and we will explain you the different architects and kings that they were involved in this project,. We will not include the visit of the interior.
We wil see the ruins of the Church of San Juan, where the painter Velazquez was buried and the Church of Santiago.
Church in honor of the apostle Santiago
We will visit the oldest church in Madrid with a mudejar tower full of horseshoes arches.
From a seaview, we will explain you the history of the Cathedral of La Almudena
We will enjoy the only rests we have of the old Arab Walls built in the 9th century,
We will visit the old City Hall and the building that surrounds the square, as Casa de Cisneros and Casa de los Lujanes.
We will stop in the only market with the structure mad of steel we have in Madrid, where you can have a drink and eat tapas.
We will finish in the social and comercial center of the city for the last 400 yeats of this example of square from Castilla.
We will finish in the Kilometer 0 at Puerta del Sol
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(21)
Fantastic rich history shown through architecture in a beautiful city. Emilio was knowledgeable and engaged.
We learned a lot about Madrid history but thought that there would be more emphasis on the architecture since it was titled that way.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review, although I am a little surprised because it is the first time in seven years that we have received such a comment. On the one hand, you decided to leave the tour with two and a half hours still to go, claiming it was cold, even though I offered to go somewhere heated for a hot coffee, and you made no mention about the emphasis on history or what were your interests. On the other hand, in a tour about historical architecture and the origins of the city, we always explain the historical, political, and sociological context of each building, without which it is impossible to understand the stylistic changes and urban development of Madrid over 12 centuries of history.
Emilio is a real local expert who gave us the chance to come to know the old parts of town. So many details going far beyond only the sights along the way helped us understanding the history of town much better. Despite the spectacular sights we got so many insights into the history of town and country. Emilio guided us knowlegable and in a very friendly manner and our kids recognized so many of his hints during the week after that you can see how nachhaltig his tour has been. We strongly suggest to book is second tour about Gran via in combination. Could not have been better, a real gem and an absolute recommendation! Thank you so much
Our guide was excellent. He has an amazing knowledge of Madrid’s history and architecture. We gained so much from this private tour!
Emilio is extremely knowledgeable. We would never see this much on our own. This tour helps to connect modern city to its history. Highly recommended.
Our tour with Emilio was even better than we had hoped, and we have high standards. Emilio’s knowledge of history (which is what we were most interested in) was extremely thorough and he wove together the clear connections between the history of the city and the architecture around us. Some tour guides deliver facts in a way that can be hard to follow, but Emilio’s sequencing of events flowed seamlessly and coherently. Very highly recommended.
If you love an interesting walk through a historic part of Madrid with a knowledgeable guide, then this tour is for you. The guide, who is an architect, gave us snippets of history that put the buildings we viewed into context. He was solicitous and kind - and we enjoyed pausing to have coffee and converse midway through the 3 hour + tour.
Emilio’s architecture was the perfect way to get an understanding of Madrid’s history and what makes it special today. Highly recommend!
There is no tour of Madrid that can compare with the experience and knowledge that Emilio offers at Architours. History, urban planning, architecture, sociology, customs... Very complete and enjoyable. Without a doubt, the best option for our company, where members from all over Spain were present who fell in love with Madrid.
Excellent guide. Very complete explanations. You learn about the history of Madrid and the history of Spain. Highly recommended
