With its selection as the court of the Spanish Habsburgs, Madrid became the de facto capital of a global empire, a place from which momentous decisions were made whose implications were felt in all corners of a vast domain. By the seventeenth century, however, political theory produced in the Monarquía Hispánica dealt primarily with the concept of decline. In this book, Jesús Escobar argues that the buildings of Madrid tell a different story about the final years of the Habsburg dynasty. Madrid took on a grander public face over the course of the seventeenth century, creating a “court space” for residents and visitors alike. Drawing from the representation of the city’s architecture in prints, books, and paintings, as well as re-created plans standing in for lost documents, Escobar demonstrates how, through shared forms and building materials, the architecture of Madrid embodied the monarchy and promoted its chief political ideals of justice and good government. Habsburg Madrid explores palaces, public plazas, a town hall, a courthouse, and a prison, narrating the lived experience of architecture in a city where a wide roster of protagonists, from architects and builders to royal patrons, court bureaucrats, and private citizens, helped shape a modern capital. Richly illustrated, highly original, and written by a leading scholar in the field, this volume disrupts the traditional narrative about seventeenth-century Spanish decadencia. It will be welcomed by specialists in Habsburg Spain and by historians of art, architecture, culture, economics, and politics.

With its selection as the court of the Spanish Habsburgs, Madrid became the de facto capital of a global empire, a place from which momentous decisions were made whose implications were felt in all corners of a vast domain. By the seventeenth century, however, political theory produced in the Monarquía Hispánica dealt primarily with the concept of decline. In this book, Jesús Escobar argues that the buildings of Madrid tell a different story about the final years of the Habsburg dynasty. Madrid took on a grander public face over the course of the seventeenth century, creating a “court space” for residents and visitors alike. Drawing from the representation of the city’s architecture in prints, books, and paintings, as well as re-created plans standing in for lost documents, Escobar demonstrates how, through shared forms and building materials, the architecture of Madrid embodied the monarchy and promoted its chief political ideals of justice and good government. Habsburg Madrid explores palaces, public plazas, a town hall, a courthouse, and a prison, narrating the lived experience of architecture in a city where a wide roster of protagonists, from architects and builders to royal patrons, court bureaucrats, and private citizens, helped shape a modern capital. Richly illustrated, highly original, and written by a leading scholar in the field, this volume disrupts the traditional narrative about seventeenth-century Spanish decadencia. It will be welcomed by specialists in Habsburg Spain and by historians of art, architecture, culture, economics, and politics.

"This volume focuses on the various Habsburg courts and households among the two branches of the dynasty that arose following the division of the territories originally held by Charles V. The authors trace the connections between these courtly communities regardless of their standing or composition, exposing the underlying network they formed. By cutting across the traditional division in the historiography between the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs and also examining the roles played by the courts and households of lesser known members of the dynasty, this volume determines to what degree the organization followed a particular model and to what extent individuals were able to move between courts in pursuit of career opportunities and advancement."--Back cover.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Madrid will lead you straight to the best attractions this city has to offer. Explore the Royal Palace, take in the beauty of Buen Retiro Park, or shop and dine in the historic Plaza Mayor. Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Madrid. + Detailed itineraries and "don't-miss" destination highlights at a glance. + Illustrated cutaway 3-D drawings of important sights. + Guided walking tours, local drink and dining specialties to try, things to do, and places to eat, drink, and shop by area. + Area maps marked with sights and restaurants. + Detailed city maps include street finder index for easy navigation. + Insights into history and culture to help you understand the stories behind the sights. + Suggested day trips and itineraries to explore beyond the city. + Hotel and restaurant listings highlight DK Choice special recommendations. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Madrid truly shows you this city as no one else can.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Madrid will lead you straight to the best attractions this city has to offer. Explore the Royal Palace, take in the beauty of Buen Retiro Park, or shop and dine in the historic Plaza Mayor. Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Madrid. + Detailed itineraries and "don't-miss" destination highlights at a glance. + Illustrated cutaway 3-D drawings of important sights. + Guided walking tours, local drink and dining specialties to try, things to do, and places to eat, drink, and shop by area. + Area maps marked with sights and restaurants. + Detailed city maps include street finder index for easy navigation. + Insights into history and culture to help you understand the stories behind the sights. + Suggested day trips and itineraries to explore beyond the city. + Hotel and restaurant listings highlight DK Choice special recommendations. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Madrid truly shows you this city as no one else can.

This book offers an original approach to the study of the Scottish diaspora in Europe. It highlights the activities of a group of emigrants and exiles who served the twin-headed Habsburg dynasty during the first half of the seventeenth century.

Famed for its wild nights and lazy days, Madrid provides a whole lot more, whether your interests lie in spectacular opera productions or chirpy folkloric zarzuela; in cutting-edge cuisine or ancient, tiled tabernas; in designer-shoe shopping or mooching around flea markets. Written by resident journalists, Time Out Madrid also covers the artistic jewels housed in the Prado, Thyssen, and Reina Sofia, as well as the etiquette of watching a bullfight or joining in with a flamenco performance, as well as where to stay and how to escape the city heat.Suggested trips out of town are also recommended. • In the frame—the intriguing stories behind some of the city’s best-known paintings. • Sophisticated snacking—where to find gourmet tapas and wine-lists to match. • Winding down—the yoga centers, spas and Turkish baths springing up all over town. • Up, up and away—climbing, skiing and hang-gliding are all within reach of the city.

Spain's capital is a city that never sleeps, known for its gracious architecture, charming old quarters, and superb art collections, all under blue skies and exquisite sierra light. Be inspired to visit by the brand new Insight Pocket Guide Madrid, a concise, full-color guide to this elegant city that combines lively text with vivid photography to highlight the best that Madrid has to offer. Inside Insight Pocket Guide Madrid: - Where To Go details all the key sights in the city, from the bustling cafs of Plaza Mayor to the world-famous art collection of the Prado museum, while handy maps on the cover flaps help you find your way around, and are cross-referenced to the text. - Top 10 Attractions gives a run-down of the best sights to take in on your trip, including the royal palaces of El Escorial and Palacio Real, and the green space of Parque del Buen Retiro. - Perfect Day provides an itinerary for one day in the city. - What To Do is a snapshot of ways to spend your spare time, including arts, shopping, and the best tapas and flamenco bars in town. - Essential information on Madrid's culture, including a brief history of the city. - Eating Out covers the city's best cuisine. - Curated listings of the best hotels and restaurants. - A-Z of all the practical information you'll need. About Insight Guides: Insight Guides has over 40 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps as well as picture-packed eBooks to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture together create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure. 'Insight Guides has spawned many imitators but is still the best of its type.' - Wanderlust Magazine

With an iconic style and a bestselling brand, this is the quintessential pocket-sized travel guide to Madrid - now with a bilingual dictionary Plan your trip, plan perfect days and discover how to get around - this pocket-sized guide is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering fun and interesting things to do and see in Madrid, from top tourist attractions like The Prado, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, El Escorial and Plaza Santa Ana, to hidden gems, including Parque del Been Retiro, La Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida and Museo Nacional Centro dearie Reina Sofia. - What to see: comprehensive coverage of the city's attractions, illustrated with striking photography - What to do: how to make the most of your leisure time, from local entertainment to the best activities and shopping - History and culture: giving you a deeper understanding of the city's heritage, people and contemporary life - Practical tips: where to stay, dining out and how to get around: reliable recommendations and expert travel advice - Dictionary: quick-reference bilingual language guide to help you with vocabulary on the ground - Covers: Old Madrid, Paseo del Prado, Recoletos and Castellana and Malasana and Chueca About Berlitz: Berlitz draws on years of travel and language expertise to bring you a wide range of travel and language products, including travel guides, maps, phrase books, language-learning courses, dictionaries and kids' language products.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in Early Modern Festivals. These spectacles articulated the self-image of ruling elites and played out the tensions of the diverse social strata. Responding to the growing academic interest in festivals this volume focuses on the early modern Iberian world, in particular the spectacles staged by and for the Spanish Habsburgs. The study of early modern Iberian festival culture in Europe and the wider world is surprisingly limited compared to the published works devoted to other kingdoms at the time. There is a clear need for scholarly publications to examine festivals as a vehicle for the presence of Spanish culture beyond territorial boundaries. The present books responds to this shortcoming. Festivals and ceremonials played a major role in the Spanish world; through them local identities as well as a common Spanish culture made their presence manifest within and beyond the peninsula through ephemeral displays, music and print. Local communities often conflated their symbols of identity with religious images and representations of the Spanish monarchy. The festivals (fiestas in Spanish) materialized the presence of the Spanish diaspora in other European realms. Royal funerals and proclamations served to establish kingly presence in distant and not so distant lands. The socio-political, religious and cultural nuances that were an intrinsic part of the territories of the empire were magnified and celebrated in the Spanish festivals in Europe, Iberia and overseas viceroyalties. Following a foreword and an introduction the remaining 12 chapters are divided up into four sections. The first explores Habsburg Visual culture at court and its relationship with the creation of a language of triumph and the use of tapestries in festivals. The second part examines triumphal entries in Madrid, Lisbon, Cremona, Milan, Pavia and the New World; the third deals with the relationship between religion and the empire through the examination of royal funerals, hagiography and calendric celebrations. The fourth part of the book explores cultural, artistic and musical exchange in Naples and Rome. Taken together these essays contribute further to our growing appreciation of the importance of early-modern festival culture in general, and their significance in the world of the Spanish Habsburgs in particular.