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The heart, in all senses, of Malasana is the Plaza Dos de Mayo , named after the insurrection against Napoleonic forces on May 2, 1808; the rebellion and its aftermath are depicted in a series of Goyas at the Prado. The surrounding district bears the name of one of the martyrs of the uprising, fifteen-year-old Manuela Malasana, who is also commemorated in a street (as are several other heroes of the time). On the night of May 1 all of Madrid shuts down to honour its heroes, and the plaza is the scene of festivities lasting well into the night. More recently, the quarter was the focus of the movida madrilena , the "happening scene" of the late 1970s and early 1980s. As the country relaxed after the death of Franco and the city developed into a thoroughly modern capital under the leadership of the late mayor, Galvan, Malasana became the mecca of the young. Bars appeared behind every doorway, drugs were sold openly in the streets, and there was an extraordinary atmosphere of new-found freedom. Times have changed - and chocolate (dope) sellers are less tolerated by residents and police alike. A good deal of renovation has been going on in recent years, but the barrio retains a somewhat alternative - nowadays rather grungey - feel, with its bar custom spilling onto the streets, and an ever-lively scene in the Plaza Dos de Mayo terrazas. The corner of c/Barcelo and c/Fuencarral has become the centre of the litrona scene and a bit of an eyesore to boot. On Friday and Saturday nights hundreds of under-age drinkers come here with their litronas - litre bottles of coke or soft drinks to mix with spirits - and calimochos - a mixture of cheap red wine and Coca-Cola - and create an impromptu open-air terraza in the plaza only to leave the whole area strewn with bottles and rubbish the next morning. There are no regular sights in this quarter but the streets have an interest of their own and some fine traditional bars - Casa Camacho at c/San Andres 2 is a great place for vermut . There are also some wonderful old shop signs and architectural details, best of all the old pharmacy on the corner of c/San Andres and c/San Vicente Ferrer, with its irresistible 1920s azulejo scenes depicting cures for diarrhoea, headaches and suchlike.
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