Quick answer: the best secrets around Retiro Park: the Fallen Angel statue, one of the very few in the world dedicated to Lucifer (legend says it stands 666 metres above sea level); the Puerta de Alcalá, whose two sides are different; the gold vault of the Banco de España under Cibeles; and two rooftops on Calle de Alcalá with bronze chariots and the goddess Minerva.
This is the elegant side of Madrid. Calle de Alcalá is a catwalk of grand buildings, the Prado holds Velázquez and Goya, and the Retiro is where the whole city goes to breathe. Keep your head up: the best things here are on the roofs.
Retiro Park secrets
The Fallen Angel statue in Retiro: Lucifer at 666 metres
In the Retiro, at the Glorieta del Ángel Caído, there’s Lucifer, thrown out of heaven and pulled by a snake. Ricardo Bellver made him in 1877, and he caused a lot of arguments with conservative people. It’s one of the very few statues in the world dedicated only to him. And they say the fountain stands at 666 metres above sea level.
—Coincidence? —says la Vikinga.
—Ayúdame, Virgen de la Almudena —dice Puri, santiguándose. (Help me, Virgin of la Almudena, says Puri, crossing herself.)
- Where: Glorieta del Ángel Caído, Retiro Park
- Metro: Retiro (L2) or Atocha (L1)
- Tip: look for the shrapnel marks from the Civil War
- Your Spanish: cara de no haber roto un plato = looking totally innocent
Puerta de Alcalá: why the two sides are different
King Charles III ordered it in 1778, and it was the first triumphal arch built in Europe after the Roman Empire. Its secret: the two sides are not the same. The king approved two different drawings by the architect Sabatini without noticing, so Sabatini joined both. One side has ten half-columns; the other, two columns and flat pillars. Walk around it and check.
- Where: Plaza de la Independencia
- Metro: Retiro (L2)
- Your Spanish: tener dos caras = to be two-faced
The gold under Cibeles: the Banco de España vault
Everybody knows the Cibeles fountain because Real Madrid fans celebrate there. Few know what’s underneath: 35 metres under the ground, the vault of the Banco de España, opened in 1936 and full of gold. To get in you pass three enormous armoured doors, and an underground stream runs below as part of the security.
- Where: Plaza de Cibeles
- Metro: Banco de España (L2)
- Tip: go up to the viewpoint of the Palacio de Cibeles to see it from above
- Your Spanish: vale su peso en oro = worth its weight in gold
Calle de Alcalá rooftops: the bronze chariots and Minerva
On top of Alcalá, 16 there are two bronze chariots by Higinio Basterra, 25 tonnes of ego. They were golden at first, and in the Civil War they were painted dark so planes couldn’t use them as a target.
A few numbers up, at Alcalá, 42, the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes shows you all of Madrid like a model city, with the goddess Minerva next to you. Go at sunset.
- Where: Calle de Alcalá, 16 and 42
- Metro: Sevilla or Banco de España (L2)
- Your Spanish: ver las cosas con perspectiva = to see the bigger picture
Free PDF · No-Guiris Madrid · download it now
Want all 30 secrets, with la Vikinga and Puri, where to eat in every barrio and the Spanish you need at each stop?
The Prado and the Retiro, with a little Spanish
Buy Prado tickets on the official site and choose a few paintings, not all of them. Then walk to the Retiro pond (20–30 minutes), row a barquita and watch the abuelos play cards like they own the place. They do.
Spanish you’ll need in the Retiro
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Perdona, ¿dónde está el estanque? | Excuse me, where is the pond? |
| Por allí, todo recto. | Over there, straight ahead. |
| ¿Está cerca? | Is it near? |
| Sí, a cinco minutos. | Yes, five minutes away. |
| Gracias. ¡Hace un día precioso! | Thanks. What a lovely day! |
Where do these stories come from?
I’m writing a novel about a copywriter who walks around Madrid when she can’t sleep, when a man leaves her, or when a deadline is eating her alive. Two voices walk with her: la Vikinga, who speaks English and has no filter, and Puri, who speaks Spanish and is shocked by everything. Every secret on this page is one of her walks.
The novel is Una felación al día (yes, that’s the title, and yes, it’s a novel, not self-help): a copywriter in Madrid, love, desire, friends and a mystery, all in Spanglish. When it goes on sale, this Madrid guide will come with it as an extra. For now, it’s free: download it directly from this page.
📖 Read the first chapter of Una felación al día for free. And if you’re learning Spanish, my book How to Speak Spanish with a Narco, a Philosopher and a Real Human is the next step after the guide.
More secret Madrid, barrio by barrio
- Secret Madrid: 30 Hidden Places and the Legends Behind Them
- Madrid de los Austrias: Secrets and Legends Near Sol
- La Latina, Madrid: Hidden Walls, Secret Gardens and the Best Tapas Street
- Lavapiés and Tirso de Molina: Corralas, a Severed Head and a 1916 Cinema
- Malasaña Legends: the Fish on Calle del Pez, Manuela’s Scissors and the Missing Number 109
- Gran Vía Secrets: a Rhino, a Naked Man on the Roof and the Street of Disappointment
- Chueca Secrets: Saint Valentine’s Bones and the House of the Seven Chimneys
- Chamberí and Beyond: the Ghost Metro Station, Sorolla’s House and a Mine Under Madrid
FAQ
Is the Fallen Angel statue in Retiro really at 666 metres?
That’s the popular legend: the fountain is said to stand 666 metres above sea level. It’s one of the very few public statues dedicated to Lucifer.
Why are the two sides of the Puerta de Alcalá different?
Charles III approved two different designs by Francesco Sabatini, and the architect combined both, so each side of the gate looks different.
Is there gold under the Cibeles fountain?
The Banco de España’s vault is under the building next to Cibeles, about 35 metres underground. It’s not open to the public.
Which rooftop on Calle de Alcalá has the best view?
The Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop at Calle de Alcalá, 42, especially at sunset.
— Monica Bernabe Perez