A Morning Stroll Through Historical Madrid, March 19, 2026

Dawn on March 19 was cool and sunny, and we were looking forward to spending the morning with Mayte, a private guide who was to introduce us to old Madrid. She arrived at the hotel promptly at 10:00. We, however, had a less graceful start. Sometime during the night, in a half-awake fog, I managed to turn off my alarm. Panic set in only when the concierge called to say Mayte was downstairs waiting. Eight minutes later, having dressed in record time, I was downstairs sharing coffee with her.

Soon the three of us left the Palacio and headed toward the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral. As we walked, the view opened up beautifully, and the cathedral looked especially lovely in the morning light.

On our way toward the Royal Palace and Cathedral Almudena

JoAnn and I followed Mayte. The view of the Cathedral was lovely.

Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Almudena from overlook

Our stroll took us to the Church of San Nicolas de los Servitas, near the Plaza de Ramales and the Royal Palace. It is one of the oldest churches in Madrid. The story of the church reaches back to the early years of Christian Madrid after the Reconquest. The church was already known by 1202, which is why it is regularly counted among the city’s oldest parishes. The tower is especially fascinating because many historians believe it may preserve the form — or even part of the fabric — of an earlier minaret, which would connect the site to Madrid’s Islamic past. The brick tower immediately caught my eye. It has a simplicity and age that set it apart from so many of the grander churches we would later see.

Church of San Nicolas de los Servitas

Ornate entrance to the Church of San Nicolas de los Servitas containing a small sculpted figure of Saint Nicholas, the church’s patron.

Typical quiet side street

Further on, we came to the Casa de la Villa in the old Habsburg quarter of the city. It served as Madrid’s city hall for centuries. Standing in Plaza de la Villa, it felt very much a building of old Madrid, with red brick walls framed in granite, a slate roof, dormers, and a tall tower topped by a weather vane. We noticed similar slate roofs throughout the city.

Casa de la Villa in Plaza de la Villa

Another view of Casa de la Villa showing dormers

Madrid is a very walkable city and you never know what you’ll find when you turn a corner. As we walked along we came to the Monument in memory of the Madrid Republicans. It is in Plaza del Rollo, just behind Plaza de la Villa in old Madrid. The memorial was unveiled in March 2023 and was made in steel by sculptor José Miguel Utande. 

What the sculpture represents is deeply moving. Madrid created it to honor the Madrid Republicans who were deported after the Spanish Civil War to Mauthausen and other Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War. The city tourism office says the ensemble commemorates 449 deportees, whose names are engraved in the steel pillars. What moved me most were the engraved names, which made the memorial feel intimate rather than abstract.

Monument in memory of the Madrid Republicans deported to Mauthausen, in Plaza del Rollo

In Plaza Mayor we came across a group taking a selfie—apparently a requirement for travelers in Madrid. In my photograph, the building between the towers is the Casa de la Panadería, famous for the painted frescoes between its windows. Once the square’s main bakery, it is now one of Plaza Mayor’s signature landmarks, with modern fresco-style murals depicting mythological and allegorical figures tied to Madrid and its history.

Taking a selfie in Plaza Mayor

The current murals are modern fresco-style paintings which were added in the late 20th century. They depict a mix of mythological and allegorical figures connected to Madrid, the Spanish monarchy, and the history of Plaza Mayor.

Casa de la Panaderia

Casa de la Panaderia

Another typical side street

As we strolled down Calle de San Justo we happened upon the Basilicia Pontifica de San Miguel with its Baroque convex facade. The entrance invited us in, and what we found inside was extraordinary. The main altar was impressive, but it was the vaulting and dome area that truly stopped me.

Convex façade of the Basilica Pontifica de San Miguel

Main altar of Basilica Pontifica de San Miguel.

When I say “extraordinary,” I am referring to the vaulting and dome area. The colors and light were breathtaking.

Vaulting, Basilica Pontifica de San Miguel

Vaulting, Basilica Pontifica de San Miguel

Street Scene, Madrid

As you make your way through Madrid, you may notice brass plaques embedded in the pavement marking businesses that have operated in the city for more than 100 years. One such plaque marked Casa Paco, where I photographed both the sign and JoAnn with Mayte outside.

Plaque designating the existence of Casa Paco, a business in existence for over 100 years

JoAnn and Mayte outside Casa Paco

At the corner of Calle de Grafal and Calle de San Bruno, in the La Latina district, we came upon the Mural a los Tercios Espanoles, also known as the Captain Alatriste mural. It was painted in 2022 by Javier Lobo, who works under the name Murea. The Spanish Tercios were an elite infantry that fought for the Spanish monarchy in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In the photograph, Mayte is explaining the mural’s significance to JoAnn. The mural itself is a series of paintings that extend along the walls of both streets and was created at the request of the owner of the Taberna del Capitan Alatriste.

Mural a los Tercios Espanoles

Carved wooden doors and Interesting window with lantern

Soon we found ourselves outside of the baroque church of the Colegiata de San Isidro.

Studying the announcements at the Colegiata de San Isidro

Holy Family, side chapel, the Colegiata de San Isidro

We visited a few churches while in Madrid. In a number of side chapels we saw life-sized sculptures of Jesus and of Mary carried by volunteers during feast days and holidays. Seeing them reminded me of a Marian procession we witnessed at Notre-Dame in Paris on August 15, 2025. There is something deeply moving about such images when they are not merely displayed, but carried through the streets for public veneration.

Christ carrying the cross on his way to Calvary on a platform

Gilded, Baroque, ceiling above Christ statue

By late afternoon we were ready to sit down for a tapa or two. By then we were on our own, as Mayte had said goodbye a while earlier, and we passed more interesting buildings and attractive plazas as we made our way along.

Contrasting buildings, typical street scene

Corner scene

Plaza scene

Mayte, just after we began our walk with her at 10AM, told us of Taberna del Alabardero, a tapas place near the royal palace that was founded in 1974 by father Don Luis de Lezama. It began as a social initiative created to provide work and training to young people with limited resources. It cultivated a reputation as a cultural and political meeting place frequented by diplomats, politicians, journalists, artists and intellectuals. It even received visits from Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI as well as from the Spanish royal family.

The word Alabardero refers to the Halberdiers of the Royal Guard, the men charged with guarding the royal palaces. The reference to Halberdiers is only fitting since the restaurant is so close to the royal palace. And also conveniently located near our hotel.

Entrance to Taberna del Alabardero

A selection of fresh made, delicious tapas

Beer tap, wine bottles and photographs

Following a terrific lunch, we returned to the hotel to kick off our shoes and rest a while before heading out again to celebrate JoAnn’s birthday. It had been a wonderful introduction to old Madrid—its churches, plazas, memorials, murals, and, of course, its food.