Museo Los Caños del Peral
The water system ⛲
One of the smallest museums in Madrid, only 200 square meters in size, yet unique in the world. It is located at the Opera metro station, and its treasures include fragments of the historic aqueduct and a fountain. These artifacts are located almost exactly where they stood in the past, when they provided clean water to the city and 🔗 the Royal Palace. Long ago, in this place there was a gorge through which the Arenal stream flowed, which was connected to the Caños del Peral fountain system. In the 19th century, the gorge was filled in, and the fountain system became 10 meters underground. It was discovered again during the construction of an elevator for a metro station.
The pear tree 🍐
This extraordinary aqueduct was built by the famous architect Juan Bautista de Toledo, who was the first architect of the monastery of San Lorenzo de Escorial and a student of Michelangelo in the Vatican. It owes its name, Fuente de los Puente de los Caños del Peral, to the pear tree that provided shade to the fountain back in 1263. The complete system was 34 meters long. Together with a complex of wells, with a façade carved in granite and 8 fountains, it supplied the local population with water. It also ensured water for water carriers, who represented one of the most important craft guilds in the city. They used donkeys and pitchers to distribute water.
The Plaza de Isabel II 👑
The system was originally built as an Arab bathhouse, probably one of the first in Madrid. The fountains operated until the 19th century when they were buried in 1809. That happened when the surrounding area was razed to build the Plaza de Oriente, the Teatro Real, and the Plaza de Isabel II itself. This work was commissioned by King Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon. For unknown reasons, the fountain was neither moved nor destroyed, only covered with ground. Thanks to the efforts to expand the Opera metro station, the fountain was rediscovered at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. Today we can enjoy part of what was discovered, thanks to the work of the archaeological team led by Eduardo Penedo and Juan Sanguino.
In addition to the preserved fountain, the museum also houses a section of the Amaniel Aqueduct, which supplied water to the Royal Palace, a section of the sewage canal and the Arroyo del Arenal canal. This exposed hydraulic complex confirms the legendary origin of the city’s name, derived from Arabic references to water and water-rich areas. The museum space includes information panels and an instructional video displayed on a large screen. There are also small stands where you can sit and watch movies. Plaza de Isabel II features a fountain-like monolith on the surface, and the location and layout of the Fuente de los Caños del Peral are marked on the ground.
Visit: Guided tours only, usually on weekends. Only in specific time slot. One group is up to 25 people. Prior 🌐 on-line reservation is required. Free of charge. 🆓
Estación de Chamartín. Exposición trenes históricos.
🚇 The Metro de Madrid
The Metro de Madrid is one of the oldest and most extensive metro systems in Europe. It has 15 lines and over 279 stations, and its length exceeds 300 km. It is therefore worth taking a closer look at its history by taking part in one of the free guided tours organized as part of the metro museum.
🚉 The Chamartín station
One of those trips can be taken at Chamartín station. The station itself is impressive, with intersecting escalators resembling a motorway junction connecting the four-level lobby. Chamartín Station is a huge railway complex and is the largest transport hub connecting buses, trains, and metro in the north of Madrid. However, the surroundings of the station are not particularly charming due to ongoing renovations on the premises and its surroundings. Currently, two metro lines L1 and L10 intersect perpendicularly at Chamartín station. Additionally, there are two unused platforms intended for future use. On one of the disused platforms there is a permanent exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Metro de Madrid, which opened in 2018.
🚶♀ The tour
The half-hour guided tour begins with a presentation of the photograph from the ceremonial opening of the first metro line on October 17, 1919. In the photo we see a group of people surrounding King Alfonso XIII and the three chief engineers: Carlos Mendoza, Miguel Otamendi and Antonio González Echarte. The original first metro line now constitutes only a small section of today’s L1 route, spanning from Cuatro Caminos to Sol. In 1919, it had exactly 8 stations, stretching for 3.5 km. The next stage of the tour takes us to reconstructed historic trains. Starting with the oldest ones – red ones with white interiors. Passing to others with larger and larger windows, wooden floors, more sophisticated ventilation systems, door opening mechanisms, various types of seats and lighting. The exhibition is complemented by historical photographs, film reconstructions and original information boards, as well as elements of switches, plans and diagrams. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939, the Metro de Madrid also served as bomb shelters, as did other such facilities around the world.
Visit: Guided tours only, usually on weekends. Only in specific time slot. One group is up to 25 people. Prior 🌐 on-line reservation is required. Free of charge. 🆓
Estación de Chamberí 🚇
Just as fascinating as the previous museums trips is a trip to the now closed Chamberí metro station. The station can be seen by taking the L1 line between Iglesia and Bilbao stations. This station has a unique charm, reminiscent of the aesthetics of the French metro. It was designed by Antonio Palacios, the same architect who created the iconic Madrid City Hall. On May 22, 1966, the Chamberí station was closed due to the need to accommodate longer metro cars, which required the extension of the platforms from 60 to 90 meters. Unfortunately, the Chamberí station was located on a curve, so it was not possible to extend it. Moreover, the close location of neighboring stations made the operating of this station pointless. Therefore, for the safety of the trains passing by it was decided to partially dismantle the platforms and brick up the entrance leading to station. The facility gradually fell into ruin until 2006, when it was decided to transform it into a museum. It opened in 2008, and the facility allows us to truly go back in time. We can see the original ticket offices, turnstiles, and diagrams of the historic metro, and on the platform wall there are advertisements from 1919 made of mosaics and colorful tiles. The museum space is separated from the tracks by a safety glass.
Visit: Guided tours only, usually on weekends. Only in specific time slot. One group is up to 25 people. Prior 🌐 on-line reservation is required. Free of charge. 🆓