The Emblematic Puerta de Alcalá
We recently wrote an article about the Retiro Park in Madrid. With various entrances, we recommended the one on the southeast side of the Plaza de la Independencia for visitors. It's perhaps the easiest one to find because it's also the location of the emblematic Puerta de Alcalá pictured above. When traffic is light, we recommend getting your photo taken in front of it.
What's in a Name?
The name of this arch of triumph refers to the smaller city of Alcalá de Henares to the east of Madrid, a university city where I spent a year of graduate school in 1989/90. Alcalá de Henares has a Puerta de Madrid on the west side of town. We will eventually write about this small city, its university, and its literary claim to fame. For now, we will just recommend it as a fun day trip that you can do on public transportation (children will enjoy it too). Update: We wrote about Alcalá de Henares in our article on day trips from Madrid. Be sure to check it out if you're looking for such ideas.
Nearby Refreshments
The Puerta de Alcalá in existence today is actually the fourth version. The third one was demolished in 1764 when King Carlos III wanted to widen a road. He held a contest and Francisco Sabatini's design won. The arch was completed in 1778. It has suffered some damage over the centuries, notably bullet damage from the Spanish War of Independence and the Spanish Civil War. It's still remarkably beautiful and well maintained. Last year when we visited Madrid it was covered by scaffolding for maintenance. But that was completed, and you can see it now in all its glory. And you can see it while enjoying refreshments at one of the various restaurant terraces in the Plaza de La Independencia. We've done so several times and it's always a nice place to hang out. Or, if you're visiting in one of the colder months, you can step inside and sit at the bar or request a table.
Worth noting is that the east side of the gate is more ornate because it was meant to welcome visitors and the west side is plainer. And we would be remiss if we didn't mention that it was the first arch of triumph built after the end of the Roman Empire.
There's even a song about it that was released in the summer of 1986 performed by Ana Belén and Victor Manuel. I started my undergraduate year in Madrid that fall and can tell you it was a major hit and still is today for those of us who love the music of the 1980s and many others.
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