The Spanish capital is one of the most beautiful cities in the Old World, where a huge number of historical and cultural attractions are concentrated. But the suburbs of Madrid are also of great interest to travelers, and therefore many excursion routes are laid through small cities, which can be reached without problems by trains and even the metro.
Symphony in stone
This romantic name of the residence of the kings of Spain was given to Escorial not by chance. Its history began in the 16th century, when Philip II decided to erect a monastery in the suburbs of Madrid in honor of St. Lawrence. The majestic building became a kind of biography of the monarch himself, because it reflected the numerous victories and defeats of the king and his obsession with art. The first architect of El Escorial was Juan Batista de Toledo, who studied with Michelangelo himself.
Wood carvings and marble sculptures, bronze and silver as materials for decoration, frescoes on the ceiling and jasper columns - the monastery became a magnificent example of the architecture of its time. Visitors to El Escorial are invariably impressed by some of the numbers:
- The collection of masterpieces of painting collected in the monastery numbers 1,600 works.
- Through 2673 windows, light pours into the king's chambers and the monastery premises.
- 16 courtyards are interspersed with 15 galleries.
- Nine organs of splendid work have been installed in the Escorial, each of which still sounds today.
The park of the palace is a magnificent masterpiece of landscape design, and the collection of paintings by Bosch, Veronese and Van Dyck makes the monastery one of the richest art museums in Europe.
In the footsteps of Cervantes
The house with a fountain in this suburb of Madrid is world famous. It was home to Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote about the adventures of Don Quixote. And in the town of Alcala de Henares, Christopher Columbus, a hitherto unknown navigator, and Queen Isabella met for the first time. As a result of this meeting, America appeared on the world map, and the name of Columbus became synonymous with courage and perseverance.
Run Spaniard Run
The national custom of running away from bulls is called ensierro. It was this picturesque sight that glorified the suburb of Madrid with the difficult name of San Sebastian de los Reyes. Ensierro is part of the country's traditional festivals and carnivals. Those who want to tickle their nerves have to dodge the angry horned ones, and the length of the route is at least a kilometer. You can see a vivid sight in a pretty suburb of Madrid at the end of August.
