Malasaña
The heart, in all senses, of Malasaña 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 Malasaña, 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
madrileña , 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, Galván, Malasaña 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/Barceló 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 Andrés 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 Andrés and c/San Vicente Ferrer, with its
irresistible 1920s azulejo scenes depicting cures for
diarrhoea, headaches and suchlike.
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