History

History

Madrid’s no-frills theatre, born centuries ago in the heart of Lavapiés

5 June 2018

You will probably have spotted that Gran Via is home to Madrid’s grandest theatres and its most spectacular shows. However, what isn’t so well-known is that pulsating deep within the barrios of Lavapiés and Arganzuela is a thriving no-frills theatre scene, which emerged hundreds of years ago.

History

Lavapiés in the 1980s

11 May 2018

When you first glimpse Marivi Ibarrola's casually composed photographs of Lavapiés in the 1980s, you feel as if very little has changed. But stare for longer and you'll see some profound differences: the Tabacalera no longer emits smoke from its chimney, the anarchists have been gentrified out of their squats, and cinemas have been demolished to pave the way for the Lavapiés we hang out in today.

History

These vintage Spanish Christmas cards reveal clues about the past

24 December 2017

This small collections of Spanish vintage Christmas cards celebrate Spain's traditional occupations, but look closely at the design details of each card. These beautifully ornate illustrations give us a fascinating insight into the bygone era of these time-honoured professions, especially into those that are now obsolete.

History

A nostalgic voyage to Madrid’s winter wonderland

7 December 2017

Under a blanket of snow, I imagine Madrid to be as silent as the night. Not even a gust of wind could echo through the streets, never mind the infamous Madrileño hum. For those of us who arrived in Madrid in the last decade, the time-travelling journey that we're about to embark on feels a little make-believe, but trust me – this really happened.

History

Ghost buildings

26 September 2017

We’re in a surreal time in Madrid, somewhere between crisis and post-crisis. With the economy in motion again, the city’s charming madrileño hum is being shattered by the crash-bang-drill-beep of construction work and, for a brief moment, a peculiar phenomenon is appearing.

Ventilation holes leading up to the street

History

The dungeon beneath the streets of Lavapiés

13 September 2017

Those seven little holes lead to an underground prison where over the centuries, controversial influencers of their time were incarcerated.

Bar El Doblete, now closed a about to be demolished

History

Adiós to Atlético’s El Calderón and the barrio’s no-frills bars

19 July 2017

Estadio Vicente Calderón, a colossal oval fortress that has dominated Madrid’s riverside skyline since 1966, is about to be demolished. One month since its closure, local bars which once thrived from the custom of football fans are now eerily quiet.