Malasaña

Malasaña is a neighborhood district located in the center of Madrid, Spain. The district is square, bordered by '' Gran Vía'' to the south, '' Calle Fuencarral'' to the east
Calle Carranza
to the north, and '' Calle de San Bernardo'' to the west.

Overview

Malasaña is situated west of Chueca and east of Argüelles, making it a central neighborhood in Madrid. It is connected to the rest of the city by several metro stations. Notable residents include Esperanza Aguirre, the former president of the Community of Madrid, as well as various politicians and artists.

The neighborhood is named after Manuela Malasaña, a 15-year-old girl who lived o
San Andrés Street
who was executed by French troops following the Dos de Mayo Uprising in 1808. A roundabout near the Glorieta de Bilbao also bears her name. The heart of the district is the Plaza del Dos de Mayo, a square that commemorates the uprising against the occupying forces and its violent suppression, an event that marked the start of the Spanish War of Independence.

Nightlife and commerce

The Malasaña neighborhood has become a hub for the Hipster movement, attracting many young residents and visitors with its bars, clubs, and atmosphere. Its history, spanning several decades, has shaped the area's distinctive musical and artistic culture. Botellónes are common within the neighborhood, sometimes notable enough to be stopped by police activity. Parts of the neighborhood closer to Gran Vía also feature various adult clubs, and sex shops.

The local nightlife scene is diverse, with venues catering to alternative, funk, LGBTQ, hard rock, metal, house, nudists, BDSM, gothic, and other genres.

Malasaña is also known for its diverse commercial scene, featuring fashion boutiques, design stores, and niche markets that showcase progressive designers and products. The area is home to numerous secondhand vintage shops, used bookstores, and unique gift stores. The Calle del Espíritu Santo contains a range of establishments in one block, including a retro shop, specialty butchers, a pastry shop, vintage stores, a florist, a vegetable shop, bars, bohemian cafés, ethnic restaurants, mid-range dining options, and clothing shops.

Culture

Malasaña is mentioned in Me Gustas Tú by Manu Chao, and the surf instrumental Farawel Malasaña by Bambi Molesters from Croatia.

With Chueca, Malasaña hosted the Art Festival ''Los artistas del barrio'' in October 2017, opening the doors of more than 70 venues to showcase the work of international and national artists like David Trullo, Pablo Sola, Daniel Garbade, Le frère, Pablo Kalafaker, Carmen Alvar, Rosa Guerrero, and more.

Malasaña has been used as a set by directors for multiple film productions, such as Marco Ferreri in '' El Cochecito'' (1960), Franklin J. Schaffner in Patton (1970), Fernando Colomo in Bajarse al moro (1989), Pedro Almodóvar in '' Pepi, Luci, Bom'' (1980) and in '' Law of Desire'' (1987), or Emilio Martínez Lázaro in '' The Worst Years of Our Lives'' (1994). It was the center of the movida movement in late 1970s and 1980s Madrid.

Architecture

The architecture in Malasaña is traditionally uniform, featuring buildings with 4 to 6 floors, usually 3 to 5 windows wide. Each building is painted in a consistent color, with almost all windows adorned with French balconies and minimal ornamentation. Pedro de Ribera's Hospicee, now the Municipal Museum on Calle de Fuencarral, exemplifies the evolution of the Castilian baroque style towards a more decorative aesthetic, whereas the Conde Duque Cuartel, a former barracks that is today a cultural center, is an example of Madrid's Bourbon architecture.

The open spaces of Malasaña

This is a list of notable public spaces in Malasaña.

Plaza del Dos de Mayo

The square is the core of the Malasaña neighborhood, surrounded by a number of bars and restaurants. A crafts market takes place here every weekend. The square's center includes an arch, which used to be the old entrance of the ''Cuartel de Artilleria,'' as well as a marble sculpture representing Daoíz & Velarde, two Spanish soldiers who fought against the French in the Dos de Mayo Uprising in 1808. Each of the figures used to hold a sword, but due to vandalism, the swords were removed, and both figures can be seen only holding the hilts.

Calle Manuela Malasaña

This street stretches from Fuencarral all the way to San Bernando, and there are many bars and restaurants, including a theater called El Teatro Maravillas that was founded more than a hundred years ago, showcasing musicals, plays, and comedy nights. There is also a bar called La Cerveceria Casa Maravillas, a popular bar for people visiting Madrid.

Plaza de la Luna

La Plaza de la Luna, officially named Plaza de Santa María Soledad Torres Acosta, is a bustling area in Malasaña, Madrid. Commonly recognized by locals as Plaza de la Luna, it attracts both tourists and residents with its numerous bars and restaurants.

A popular spot in this area is Gymage Malasaña, offering a multifaceted experience with a gym, a theater, and a rooftop bar featuring a swimming pool. During the summer, a temporary bar emerges in the center of the square, while the winter season transforms it into an ice-skating rink.

The square is just off Gran Vía, the closest station is Callao. There are also several toy stores on the square that specialise in board games.

Plaza San Ildefonso

Within the square, there are a few buildings of particular interest:

* The San Ildefonso Church, constructed in 1827, was built on the grounds of the original building that had stood since 1619.
* The Farmacia Malasaña, known as the Puerto Pharmacy. The buildings in the San Ildefonso square of Malasaña were reformed by the architect Manuel Bradi back in 1798.

Calle del Pez

A narrow street in Malasaña runs from Corredera Baja to San Bernardo and was the backdrop for multiple movies.

Locals claim that the land was previously owned by an 18th-century priest. After the land was divided by royalty, a lake there, home to many fish, became polluted during new building construction. As a tribute and reminder, a fish was carved into the entrance of the original Casa del Pez.

Although the building was demolished, there is a fish carved into the entrance of door number 24 in La Calle del Pez as a reminder.

In 1628 it was reported that 25 nuns from the local convent had been possessed and had to be exorcised, including the founder of the convent, Teresa Valla de la Cerda. Juan Francisco García Calderón was eventually held responsible, perpetually confined to the convent by the inquisition.

References

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Neighbourhoods of Madrid
Entertainment districts in Spain