Calle de Alcalá

Panorama of Crossing the Calle de Alcala and Gran Via in Madrid

The current City Hall of Madrid is the Communications Palace or "Palacio de las Comunicaciones". It is a magnificent building situated along the south side of the Cibeles Square. In 2007 the building was transformed into the new home of Madrid's city council.

Even though Madrid's city hall looks like a high-gothic cathedral, it was originally built in the early 20th century as the main office of the Spanish postal service, hence its name Communications Palace. It continued to serve that purpose for about a century until November 2007 when it took over the function of city hall from the much less impressive "Casa de la Villa" at the Plaza de la Villa Square.

Erected in 1778 by Italian architect Francesco Sabatini, this triumphal gate was once the main entrance to the city. It was commissioned by King Charles III - over time nicknamed the Best Mayor of Madrid -, who was unimpressed by the gate that welcomed him when he first arrived in 1759. It is situated next to El Retiro Park in the centre of Plaza de la Independencia, a junction for three of the city’s most well-known streets: Calle de Alcalá, the city’s longest road, Calle de Alfonso XII, which leads to Atocha train station, and Calle de Serrano, Madrid’s most glamorous thoroughfare.

Designed by Sabatini, Puerta de Alcalá is a neoclassical triumphal arch made of granite. It was the first of its kind to be built after the fall of the Roman Empire, making it even older than Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate or the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Unlike the smaller Puerta de Toledo and Puerta de San Vicente gates, which are also located in the centre of the city, Puerta de Alcalá has a total of five arches, not three.

Each side of the gate has a different design. The one looking towards the city centre is crowned by sculptures of war trophies such as flags, weapons, breastplates and helmets, and its three rounded arches are decorated with the head of a lion. The other side, which is the one travellers would first behold when they arrived in the city, is more ornately decorated and is crowned by the royal coat of arms held up by Fame helped by a child. Along the top of the gate, you’ll find the figures of four children that are an allegory of the cardinal virtues: fortitude, justice, temperance and prudence.

The gate was given the name Puerta de Alcalá because it was on the road that led to Alcalá de Henares, Cervantes’ hometown.

The Puerta de Toledo gate was built to commemorate the arrival in Madrid of Fernando VII, 'the Desired One'. It appears that the project for the gate was carried out under the reign of José Bonaparte, although the return of Fernando VII to the throne put it on halt; its construction was later entrusted to Antonio López Aguado. López Aguado used granite and stone from Colmenar to build a gate in Neo-Roman style and it was completed in 1827. With three arches, two lateral square arches and one central semi-circular arch, the Puerta de Toledo gate has openings flanked by half-columns with Ionic capitals in the central arch and Ionic pilasters in the others. On the side facing the Manzanares River, a group of sculptures made by Valeriano Salvatierra and Ramón Barba was installed above the central arch. These sculptures represent the power of the Spanish monarchy on both hemispheres. Also on this side, in the upper part of the other two arches, several military trophies were placed. Finally, on the opposite side of the monument, two angels support the emblem of the City of Madrid.

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Activities

Popular places to visit

Church of San Manuel y San Benito

Admire the impressive neo-Byzantine architecture of this century-old landmark before passing through the entrance to discover a fascinating array of artwork.

Retiro Park Lake

Commune with nature and explore the great outdoors at Retiro Park Lake during your travels in Madrid. Take in the fascinating museums in this walkable area.

Alfonso XII Monument

You can find out about the history of Madrid with a visit to Alfonso XII Monument. Discover the fascinating museums and shops in this vibrant area.

Puerta de Alcala featuring heritage architecture, a monument and flowers

Puerta de Alcalá

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Madrid's iconic city gate is a work of art in its own right.

Puerta de Alcala featuring night scenes and heritage architecture

Milla de Oro

During your visit to Madrid, you can search for that perfect souvenir at Milla de Oro. While in this culturally rich area, you can savour the lively bars.

Casa Arabe

Rich with history, Casa Arabe is a cultural attraction worth visiting in Madrid. Discover the acclaimed theatre scene and shops in this vibrant area.

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