Thanks to the recent celebration of the World Pride Madrid, Chueca is the centre of attention one more time. Nevertheless, what is known about this magic quarter named by the compositor of zarzuelas Federico Chueca is only the surface.
The bookshop Pérez Galdós was founded in 1942 by the descendants of the writer. With five kilometres of bookcases, it is a mandatory stop for the bibliophiles that counts with ancient and discontinued volumes.
In Chueca you can find the famous Church of San Antón, known for broadcasting the masses of the Vatican on flat screen, for offering breakfast and snacks to everyone and for being open 24 hours a day. But apart from its eccentricities, it also keeps the rests of Saint Valentine, the patron saint of the lovers.
The Longoria Palace is one of the lacking modernist buildings that Madrid possesses. ‘La Tarta’ – like local people know it – was built by José Grases in 1902. On its facade, flower ornamentation decorates all the windows and, in the interior, an impressive imperial stairway.
In this quarter parking garages also make people talk. The ‘Chueca An>Dante>>’, located under Pedro Zerolo square, was designed inspired by the Divine Comedy of Dante. Besides having verses of the novel with neon lights all over the corridors, the areas in red and the faint light have a big prominence.
Take advantage of your stay in Madrid to know better one of the most peculiar quarters of the city. Our hop-on hop-off tourist bus Madrid City Tour give you the opportunity to do a panoramic visit of the whole city while you can penetrate into Chueca after a walk of 5 minutes getting off at the stop 6 of the Historical Madrid route.
