A sculpture of García Lorca looking at the facade of the Spanish Theater where he premiered some of his works. A pompous plaque to uncover the residence of “the most eminent poet of clear wit, Mr. Francisco de Quevedo”. A convent that houses a jumble of bones among which may lie the remains of Cervantes. Or pedestrian streets where cobblestones shine with quotes from great Spanish lyrical and prose figures of the past and present. All of that and much more shapes the Literary Quarter of Madrid.
Walking around this area of the historic center of Madrid is like browsing through old textbooks of Spanish literature. Here you can hear the echoes of Lope de Vega, Galdós, Moratín, Valle-Inclán, and Nobel laureates like José de Echegaray or Jacinto Benavente. A collection of signatures that invite you to take a leisurely journey through these streets and squares, evoking chapters of Spanish literature.
Statue of Federico García Lorca in Santa Ana Square
The heart of the neighborhood is Santa Ana square with the aforementioned statue of Lorca, and right at the other end of the square stands the monument to another distinguished playwright: Calderón de la Barca. A clear demonstration that this place's ties to the art of the stage go way back, given that where the Spanish Theater stands today, the renowned Corral de la Pacheca once stood. Surrounding it were others like the Corral del Príncipe and the de la Cruz, now replaced by the stages of the Calderón Theater and the Comedia.
Literary quotes engraved on the pavement of the Literary Quarter
Next to Santa Ana Square is Ángel Square, where bars and terraces for tourists are clustered. Some may be staying at the NH Collection Madrid Palacio de los Condes de Tepa. A building steeped in history, where long ago there was a simple inn for the meeting and discussion of intellectuals like Goya, Jovellanos, or Moratín.
The heart of the neighborhood is the Santa Ana square, but there are also buildings full of history, such as the NH Collection Madrid Palacio de los Condes de Tepa hotel
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer also passed by there at some point, celebrating his wedding just a few meters away, in the neighboring church of San Sebastián. A literary temple if there ever was one, as inside it Tirso de Molina or Benavente was baptized, Bécquer got married, but also Zorrilla and Valle-Inclán, while Lope de Vega and José de Espronceda were buried here.
Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarian nuns of San Ildefonso
There are more interesting churches in the literary neighborhood, such as the Basilica of Jesus of Medinaceli, which is highly esteemed in the capital. To reach it, you have to wander through the arteries of the neighborhood. You can take either Huertas street or the parallel streets dedicated to Cervantes and Lope. Two streets that do not intersect, reflecting the enmity that existed between both writers. Although they could not have been one without the other. This is also reflected in the street names.
Casa Alberto is one of the houses where Cervantes lived
For example, on Cervantes street you can find the Casa-Museo de Lope de Vega, a museum dedicated to the famous author which offers free admission. The museum recreates the living quarters of the author during his last 25 years of life. On Lope de Vega street, you can visit the Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarians of San Ildefonso, where Cervantes was supposedly buried and where potentially his skeletal remains were found a few years ago. However, it has been impossible to confirm this with certainty.
Entry to the historic interior of the Ateneo de Madrid
This 17th-century convent is one of the landmarks in the Barrio de las Letras, but there are other more recent ones that are very interesting. One of them is the Royal Academy of History, which houses a library overflowing with manuscripts, codices, and even incunabula. It is also worth visiting the Ateneo, especially during any event held in its auditorium. A place where culture permeates the air due to the influence left by figures such as Unamuno, Manuel Azaña, and even Einstein.
Almost all the streets in the neighborhood of Las Letras are semi-pedestrian
Not far away is the Chamber of Commerce, which is actually one of the best-preserved palaces in the city center: the Santoña Palace. It is a palace with a decoration as eclectic as it is ornate. Something that contrasts greatly with a neighboring building in Matute Square. This is the Perez Villaamil House, an example of modernist architecture inspired by Europe that arrived in Madrid.
The Comedy Theatre, home of the National Classical Theater Company
This housing block was built in the early years of the 20th century, a time of exceptional creative effervescence that finds a charismatic corner in the neighborhood of Las Letras. Or rather, in a small street. It is the so-called Gato Alley, which has nothing to do with felines, but with Juan Álvarez Gato, a poet who served as a steward for Queen Isabel the Catholic. Nevertheless, neither for his services to the monarchy nor for his verses has he made it into history.
“I remember Valle-Inclán in Gato Alley”
His fame is due to Valle-Inclán, who by the way became president of the aforementioned Ateneo de Madrid. However, before taking on that role in 1932, he had written “Luces de Bohemia”, a nocturnal, ethylic, and philosophical journey through early 20th century Madrid, where the characters of his work, Max Estrella and Don Latino, discover the distortion of reality in the concave and convex mirrors placed in a shop in the Gato alley.
Interior of the German Brewery
Nowadays, visiting this street in the Literary Quarter is a must, and even more so taking a photo next to the image of the Galician writer. Some do it as a tribute to the writer, and many to post the image on social media with a cultural posturing attitude. Undoubtedly, something that would greatly inspire the brilliant creator of the grotesque.
Eating and drinking in the literary neighborhood
The list of taverns, terraces, cafes, and restaurants in this part of Madrid is enormous. So much so that going for beers and visiting different bars on Huertas street is a classic. But in the neighborhood, there are very varied gastronomic experiences. For all tastes and budgets. From typical cuisine to flavors from Vietnam, Argentina, Mexico, or Japan, from a table with a linen tablecloth to leaning on the bar with a tapa.
Among the oldest is Casa Alberto, open for almost 200 years in a house where Cervantes had lived. And among the more modern ones, the Vi Cool venue offers the most casual cuisine by chef Sergi Arola, or the Moratín Wine Bar recommended by the Michelin Guide. For something more traditional, you can have the famous “patatas bravas” while looking at yourself in the mirrors of Gato Alley. Or, for a more sophisticated experience, you can enjoy a drink while listening to live jazz at Café Central. And one thing you must always do is go into Cervecería Alemana in Plaza de Santa Ana, frequented by many writers on their way to the theater or the Ateneo, some from here and some from there, like Hemingway who described it in a Life article as “a good place for beers and coffee”.