The Gran Vía is Madrid’s most recognised street, literally meaning the ‘Great Way’. It has been mentioned in many a film, book and in Spanish ‘Zarzuelas’ (operas). Anybody visiting Spain’s capital can’t help but find themselves at one point during their stay on the Gran Vía. It’s Madrid’s main shopping area, lively and bustling and it’s also well known for being home to cinema and theatre in the capital. The Gran Via is a great place to start out from to tour the rest of the city.
Running from Plaza de Alcála and Plaza España, what attracts many visitors to the Gran Vía is its grandiose early 20th century architecture. A combination of art deco and art nouveau facades on the banks, hotels, cinemas and apartment blocks gives the street a wonderfully eccentric feel.
Construction on the avenue started in 1910, although the idea to develop the Gran Vía was conceived and originally planned at the back end of the 19th century. Its aim to clear the Puerto del Sol urban area and create a more efficient thoroughfare to cross to different parts of the city, as it expanded.
The stunning Metropolis Building
Strolling down the Gran Vía you will come across many landmark buildings, the most famous of all being the Edificio Metrópolis (Metropolis building); built between 1907 and 1911, the noble building features some grand sculptures and impressive Corinthian columns that seem to carry the whole weight of the impressive tower, with its monumental statue of the winged Goddess Victoria that replaced the original stature in 1975.
Continuing along the avenue you find the Edificio Grassy. Constructed during 1916 and 1917 it is most famous for being home to the famous French watchmaker Alejandro Grassy. Today it is still home to a watch museum where you will find a wonderful collection of watches, dating back to the 16th century. The building now bears the mark of a more modern day watchmaker, that of Rolex.
The Telefonica building was completed in 1929 and it was probably the first European skyscraper to be built. Constructed as the
The Palacio de la Música de Madrid. Original premiere of Cinderella.
headquarters for Telefonica, Spain’s national telephone company; even today it is one of Spain’s tallest buildings.
In the Plaza del Callao, just off the main avenue, there are a host of cinemas, including the stunning Palacio de la Prensa and Palacio de la Músical. It’s also home to the fabulous art deco Carrion Building, also known as the Capitol building.
Although many of the original theatres were pulled down to make way for shopping centres, the Plaza del Callao still plays host to major film premieres and has been nicknamed Madrid’s ‘Broadway’.
At the end of Gran Vía you come to the famous Plaza de España, with its two skyscrapers Torre de Madrid and Edificio de España dominating the skyline.
Over the years the Gran Vía has had many different names. The Spanish dictator Francisco Franco changed it the most. The name that has lasted the longest was Avenida de José Antonio, bequeathed in remembrance of the founder of the Falange party.
Day or night, the Gran Via is full of life.
The Gran Vía finally became the Gran Vía in 1981, when democracy was re-established in Spain and the then mayor renamed it for (hopefully) the last time!
The best thing about Gran Via is that any day, at anytime, the Gran Via is filled with life. It’s a place for everybody: friends, shopaholics, cinema-lovers, sightseers and office workers. People congregating or just passing through, the Gran Vía is the core of Madrid, and a promenade of entertainment and attractions.
If you want to discover more about the city of Madrid and all its wonders, visit our Madrid Travel Guide and Video.
Image credits @FlickR: Jim Nix / Koke / El Oraculo de Bacon / p4nc0np4n
