The Calle de San Bernardo is a street in central

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, Spain. Located in the

Centro Centro may refer to: Places Brazil *Centro, Santa Maria, a neighborhood in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil * Centro, Porto Alegre, a neighborhood of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil *Centro (Duque de Caxias), a neighborhood of Duq ...

and

Chamberí Chamberí is a district of Madrid, Spain. It is further subdivided into six neighborhoods ( Gaztambide, Arapiles, Trafalgar, Almagro, Ríos Rosas and Vallehermoso). The district junta is headquartered at the . The current urban outline was born ...

districts, it once was the former road in and out of the city from the North.

History and description

Traída de aguas a Madrid, fuente de la Calle Ancha

Ancient names include the ''Camino de Alcovendas'', ''Calle de los Convalecientes de San Bernardo'' and ''Calle Ancha de San Bernardo''; the latter denomination was kept until 1865. Straddling along the

Palacio Palacio (''palace'') is a Spanish habitational name. It may have originated from many places in Spain, especially in Galicia and Asturies. Notable people with the surname include: * Agustina Palacio de Libarona (1825-1880), Argentine writer, sto ...

(the initial stretch up to the junction with the Gran Vía) and the Universidad neighborhoods part of the Centro District, the street starts at the

Plaza de Santo Domingo The plaza de Santo Domingo is a public square in the city of Madrid, Spain. History and description The square covers an area of . It is located in the Palacio neighborhood, itself belonging to the Centro District. Located in the northern e ...

and, going North, it enters the Chamberí district, forming the limit between the Arapiles and

Trafalgar Trafalgar most often refers to: * Battle of Trafalgar (1805), fought near Cape Trafalgar, Spain * Trafalgar Square, a public space and tourist attraction in London, England It may also refer to: Music * ''Trafalgar'' (album), by the Bee Gees Pl ...

neighborhoods, ending at the Glorieta de Quevedo. In 1858, the street was the place for the arrival of the waters of the

Lozoya Lozoya () is a municipality in the Community of Madrid The Community of Madrid (; es, Comunidad de Madrid ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, and of the Central ...

through the

Canal de Isabel II Canal de Isabel II (CYII) is the only company that manages the water supplies for Madrid, Spain. It is owned by the Autonomous Community of Madrid. History The '' Y'' in the abbreviated form of the company's name is from the old spelling ''Ysabel'' ...

, celebrated with a ceremony that unveiled a 30-metre high water dispenser in the middle of the street. Some landmarks located along the street include the Palacio de la Marquesa de Sonora (seat of the Ministry of Justice), the Church of Our Lady of Montserrat, or the Palace of Bauer. During the reign of

Isabella II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...

the historic main hall of the Central University (later University of Madrid, and further in time Complutense University of Madrid) was established in the street in 1842. Following the clamp down on the 1956 university protests, the street lost some of its bustling bookstores and coffee shops. The mashup of different architectural styles along the stretch going from the Plaza Santo Domingo to the Glorieta of Ruiz Jiménez has led to an overall lack of harmony in the street. The relentless

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...

of the

Malasaña Malasaña is an area in the centre of Madrid, Spain. It does not correspond to any administrative division, but it is often conflated with Universidad, the wider administrative neighborhood on which Malasaña is located. The webpage providin ...

area in the 2010s led to the renovation of several traditional housing units in the street, turning them into high-end apartments.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:San Bernardo, calle de Palacio neighborhood, Madrid Universidad neighborhood, Madrid Chamberí Streets in Madrid Odonyms referring to religion