Puerta del Sol
Encyclopedia
The Puerta del Sol is one of the best known and busiest places in Madrid
. This is the centre (Km 0
) of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes
and the beginning of a new year. The New Year's celebration has been broadcast live on TV since 31 December 1962.
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The Puerta del Sol originated as one of the gates in the city wall that surrounded Madrid in the 15th century. Outside the wall, medieval suburbs began to grow around the Christian Wall of the 12th century. The name of the gate came from the rising sun which decorated the entry, since the gate was oriented to the east.
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the area was an important meeting place: as the goal for the couriers coming from abroad and other parts of Spain to the Post Office, it was visited by those eager for the latest news. The stairs to the Saint Philip church at the square were known as the Gradas de San Felipe, and were among the most prolific mentideros de la Corte (approx. trans. would be "lie-spreaders of the Court").
The House of the Post Office was built by French Architect Jacques Marquet between 1766 and 1768. The building was the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior and State Security during the Francisco Franco
dictatorship. It is currently the seat of the Presidency of the Madrid Community
.
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The Puerta del Sol contains a number of well known sights associated both domestically and internationally with Spain. On the south side, the old Post Office serves as the office of the President of Madrid, the head of the regional government
of the Autonomous Community of Madrid (not to be confused with the Madrid City Council, which is housed elsewhere). Also on its south side, the square holds a mounted statue of Charles III of Spain
, nicknamed "el rey alcalde" ("the mayor-king") due to the extensive public works programme he set in motion. The famous Tío Pepe
lighted sign is above the square's eastern building between the Calle de Alcalá
and the Carrera de San Jerónimo. On the east side lies a statue of a bear and a madrone tree (madroño), the heraldic symbol of Madrid. Until 2009, the statue stood on the north side at the entrance to Calle del Carmen. The Mariblanca (actually Venus) marks the place of a former fountain.
The kilómetro cero is a plaque on the ground directly north of the Post Office serving as the symbolic centre of Spain. In addition to signalling the basis of numbering in the Spanish road system, the symbolic nature of the plaza ensures that it is the site of many rallies and protests, particularly against violence and war. Sol has seen protests against the terrorism perpetrated the March 11th attacks on commuter trains, and Spain's involvement in the Iraq War http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2824145.stm.
In 2011, the square has become established as a focal point and a symbol for the ongoing Spanish democracy demonstrations
. The demostrations included camping in the middle of the plaza (acampada) initiated on May 15th amidst the election campaing for city halls and Autonomous Communities governments and fuelled up by Social media, particularly Twitter and Facebook. The demostrations have then spread to many (more than 60) other cities in Spain.
; the Palacio Real, the official home of the Royal Family
, is further west. Parliament
and the museum district are to the east and the train station Atocha is to the southeast.
Under the square lies a public transport
hub served by lines 1, 2 and 3 of the Madrid Metro
. A commuter
service was inaugurated on June 27, 2009, four years behind schedule. The lateness of the construction was in part due to the discovery of the remains of the Church of Our Lady of Good Success during the excavation of the main chamber. The new station connects the Puerta to Madrid's commuter rail system and, by extension, to Spain's railroads via direct connections to Atocha and Chamartín
railway stations http://es.noticias.yahoo.com/10/20090627/tts-oestp-transporte-madrid-sol-ca02f96.html.
The square connects several commercial and recreational areas together, and thus both it and the surrounding streets consist mainly of shopping establishments catering to locals and tourists
alike, like the several El Corte Inglés
department store buildings in Preciados Street, La Mallorquina cafe, and numerous, ever-changing restaurants. The area remains active late into the night and early morning since nearby bars and dance clubs often only start entertainment at 1 am. Street music is also common in the area.
Side streets close to the square also contain residential flats, some small offices, and tourist hostels.
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. This is the centre (Km 0
Kilometre Zero
In many countries, Kilometre Zero or similar terms in other languages, is a particular location , from which distances are traditionally measured...
) of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes
Twelve Grapes
The Twelve Grapes is a Spanish tradition that dates back from at least 1895 but become consolidated in 1909...
and the beginning of a new year. The New Year's celebration has been broadcast live on TV since 31 December 1962.
History
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the area was an important meeting place: as the goal for the couriers coming from abroad and other parts of Spain to the Post Office, it was visited by those eager for the latest news. The stairs to the Saint Philip church at the square were known as the Gradas de San Felipe, and were among the most prolific mentideros de la Corte (approx. trans. would be "lie-spreaders of the Court").
The House of the Post Office was built by French Architect Jacques Marquet between 1766 and 1768. The building was the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior and State Security during the Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
dictatorship. It is currently the seat of the Presidency of the Madrid Community
Madrid (autonomous community)
The Community of Madrid is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. It is located at the center of the country, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Castilian Central Plateau . The community is also conterminous with the province of Madrid and contains the capital of Spain, which is also...
.
Famous buildings and landmarks
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of the Autonomous Community of Madrid (not to be confused with the Madrid City Council, which is housed elsewhere). Also on its south side, the square holds a mounted statue of Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
, nicknamed "el rey alcalde" ("the mayor-king") due to the extensive public works programme he set in motion. The famous Tío Pepe
Tio Pepe
Tío Pepe is a brand of Sherry, the best selling brand in the world. It is best known for its fino style of dry sherry made from the palomino grape...
lighted sign is above the square's eastern building between the Calle de Alcalá
Calle de Alcalá
Calle de Alcalá is the longest street in Madrid. It starts at the Puerta del Sol and goes on for 10.5 km, to the northeastern outskirts of the city....
and the Carrera de San Jerónimo. On the east side lies a statue of a bear and a madrone tree (madroño), the heraldic symbol of Madrid. Until 2009, the statue stood on the north side at the entrance to Calle del Carmen. The Mariblanca (actually Venus) marks the place of a former fountain.
The kilómetro cero is a plaque on the ground directly north of the Post Office serving as the symbolic centre of Spain. In addition to signalling the basis of numbering in the Spanish road system, the symbolic nature of the plaza ensures that it is the site of many rallies and protests, particularly against violence and war. Sol has seen protests against the terrorism perpetrated the March 11th attacks on commuter trains, and Spain's involvement in the Iraq War http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2824145.stm.
In 2011, the square has become established as a focal point and a symbol for the ongoing Spanish democracy demonstrations
2011 Spanish protests
The 2011 Spanish protests, also referred to as the 15-M Movement and the Indignants movement, are a series of ongoing demonstrations in Spain whose origin can be traced to social networks and Real Democracy NOW among other civilian digital platforms and 200 other small associations...
. The demostrations included camping in the middle of the plaza (acampada) initiated on May 15th amidst the election campaing for city halls and Autonomous Communities governments and fuelled up by Social media, particularly Twitter and Facebook. The demostrations have then spread to many (more than 60) other cities in Spain.
Location in Madrid
The Puerta is located in the very heart of Madrid. Immediately to the southwest lies the Plaza MayorPlaza Mayor of Madrid
The Plaza Mayor was built during the Habsburg period and is a central plaza in the city of Madrid, Spain. It is located only a few Spanish blocks away from another famous plaza, the Puerta del Sol. The Plaza Mayor is rectangular in shape, measuring 129 by 94 metres, and is surrounded by...
; the Palacio Real, the official home of the Royal Family
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
, is further west. Parliament
Cortes Generales
The Cortes Generales is the legislature of Spain. It is a bicameral parliament, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate . The Cortes has power to enact any law and to amend the constitution...
and the museum district are to the east and the train station Atocha is to the southeast.
Under the square lies a public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
hub served by lines 1, 2 and 3 of the Madrid Metro
Madrid Metro
The Madrid Metro is a metro system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the sixth longest metro in the world though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world...
. A commuter
Cercanías
Cercanías is the name given to the commuter rail systems of Spain's major metropolitan areas. In Catalonia and Valencia, however, the term is replaced by Rodalies , while the designation Aldirikoak is used in the Basque Country....
service was inaugurated on June 27, 2009, four years behind schedule. The lateness of the construction was in part due to the discovery of the remains of the Church of Our Lady of Good Success during the excavation of the main chamber. The new station connects the Puerta to Madrid's commuter rail system and, by extension, to Spain's railroads via direct connections to Atocha and Chamartín
Chamartín Station
Madrid Chamartín is the name of the second major railway station in Madrid, Spain. Positioned on the north side of the city, it was built prior to the time of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, between 1970 and 1975, although subsequent work would be carried on into the early 1980s. At that time it...
railway stations http://es.noticias.yahoo.com/10/20090627/tts-oestp-transporte-madrid-sol-ca02f96.html.
The square connects several commercial and recreational areas together, and thus both it and the surrounding streets consist mainly of shopping establishments catering to locals and tourists
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
alike, like the several El Corte Inglés
El Corte Inglés
El Corte Inglés S.A. , headquartered in Madrid, is the biggest department store group in Europe and ranks fourth worldwide...
department store buildings in Preciados Street, La Mallorquina cafe, and numerous, ever-changing restaurants. The area remains active late into the night and early morning since nearby bars and dance clubs often only start entertainment at 1 am. Street music is also common in the area.
Side streets close to the square also contain residential flats, some small offices, and tourist hostels.
Namesakes
- Puerta del Sol, a Spanish-language audiomagazine (bimonthly audio-recording-with-annotated-transcription periodical) by Champs-Elysées Audio MagazinesChamps-Elysées Audio MagazinesChamps-Elysées Audio Magazines was a language learning company that produced audio books and audio magazines for intermediate- to advanced-skill-level speakers of French, Spanish, German, and Italian...
. It is a tool to help speakers of Spanish as a foreign language to advance from intermediate toward advanced skill level. This magazine is no longer in publication. http://www.champs-elysees.com/
External links
- The History of the Tío Pepe Sign - illustrated article (in English)