RETIREMENT
Monument to the Fallen Angel in The Retreat opened in 1885, sculptor Ricardo Bellver Madrid, one of the few public sculptures, perhaps the only central theme is the devil in the world.
Parks are some places because of its characteristics, we can find a greater number of these monuments, and if there is a playground for excellence in Madrid, that is none other than El Retiro. This park has a long and fascinating history of its own behind them, which I recommend you try to know who would write several books and inside there are a large number of monuments dedicated to the most diverse characters and episodes, look if you will large variety of characters that these monuments are dedicated, in the Retiro find a monument dedicated to the Devil himself, something that happens in very few places on earth. Interpreted in any way any information that is behind each of these monuments, walking through El Retiro can take a tour of not only the history of Madrid, if not by that of Spain.
Álvarez Quintero brothers, indirect protagonists of this chronicle.
If the history of El Retiro could write several books, that would leave behind many other monuments. Today I want to talk about one in particular, which somehow connects this park in Madrid with bullfighting. I refer to the monument to the brothers Alvarez Quintero.
Back of monument to the brothers Alvarez Quintero, located in El Retiro.
The monument to the Alvarez Quintero was opened in the middle Republic, on December 2, 1934, both being alive, a fact that gives the true measure of its popularity, Serafin pass away in Madrid during the civil war in in 1938 and his brother in 1944 also this city. The monument by sculptor Lorenzo Coullaut Seville also to pass away during the creation of this monument in 1932, which would end his son Frederick Coullaut that the project would take only 19 years. Both father and son are the authors of notable groups of sculptures can be found in Madrid and elsewhere, as a monument to Cervantes in the Plaza of Spain, among others. The architectural part of the monument is composed of a stone bench in a semicircle in the center under an arch formed over several columns, we found the sculpture, also in stone, a woman who opens onto a balcony, in which foreign is a bronze equestrian statue of a jockey suit greets camper Andalusian women in the balcony, no doubt in tribute to one of the many comedies of manners of the authors inspired by his native Andalusia. Under the feet of the woman found a marble bas-relief on the faces of the brothers. The monument beyond its ornamental function, also had a social and cultural role, as both sides of that bas-relief, were two niches where the visitor could find a small library with books in the works of the brothers Alvarez Quintero, and sit and read comfortably on the stone bench. These libraries in public places was common during the Republic, who devoted much effort to the cultural diffusion among the most popular classes in the same park structures still survive in some of these small libraries outdoors. At present, these niches are empty and the doors closed, and can you imagine what would be the fate of books in these times.
Álvarez Quintero brothers pose in front of the monument a few days of his inauguration. The left-coated, as it should be. Looking
documentation of this event in the file of the sun and I've encountered Flies a monumental and chronic vibrant signed by a journalist named Peter Massa I can not fail to mention. That prose gentlemen readers, who use the verb, that mastery of the language of Cervantes. That if they were journalists ladies and gentlemen and not juntaletras we have now, let me transcribe a single paragraph on the memorial: Monument huge, genuine trace of English, worked around the living rock, torn from most traditional quarries of our spirit, and soaked, the vane to the foundation, a salt oozing, grace and joy as you may not find him in one. " How about dear readers?, Do I have right or wrong?. I must confess that reading this review I show integrated then there have been times that somehow driven by an invisible spring, I built my seat and my throat has left a resounding "ole" to enjoy reading paragraphs of this great journalist, or better than a journalist, this unparalleled artist. That art masters, but that art ...
Colossal vibrant chronicle of a journalist from the truth, those before, not like now mindundis, decidacda the inauguration of the monument. We strongly advise readers to read friends (click on image to enlarge) so that all can appreciate their art.
Today I speak also of a collective and numerous popular bullfighting in his time but will gradually decline is undoubtedly due to the emergence of bullfighting schools, I am referring to the valise. The figure of the valise generally responded to a rural girl, usually no or very basic training, from very poor families that often exceeded the threshold of poverty. These young people, sometimes almost children, were poured into the streets almost always with all his belongings gathered in a bundle hanging from a stick over his shoulder, the only hope and aim to succeed in the world of bullfighting. Heirs of a rogue form of the Golden Age, wandered hither and thither in search of amateur and corral where they were allowed to take a few passes. His life was filled with penalties and not without great risks, like going at night in wild cattle farms to fight at the moonlight, or jump into the ring in the middle of a run to a pass and looking for someone from the public take notice of them, as in the case of Florentino Ballesteros we met in our previous review. Most of the time their adventure ended in failure, if not tragic, but there are many cases where getting succeed and become someone in the world of bullfighting and attained fame, wealth and social recognition eg cases of Palomo Linares and El Cordoba. As I say was a figure closely tied to poverty and insecurity, and it was very common to find these characters in the hard years of Franco's iron and after the war.
torero who boasts all want to succeed in Madrid, and this city also exerted an irresistible attraction for the valise, with the final destination of many. In Madrid there were several points where these excited youngsters gathered to practice their hobby, and the monument to the brothers Alvarez Quintero was one of them. Perhaps her semi-circular structure that resembled a ring, perhaps by the evocation of Andalusia, the birthplace of many them and closely associated region bullfighting, or may be that the rider in his suit camper, or who knows why, the fact is that on any day of the year could see them practicing bullfighting games, simulating sets while another teammate was a bull, practicing the different countries and lots composing the figure as his mind pictured the stands packed cheering their sensational sets and dreamed of winning. Currently
the romantic figure of the valise has virtually disappeared due to a combination of several causes, from the general economic level rise to the appearance of bullfighting school where to channel these early vocations without forgetting that even though many of bullfighting is slowly disappearing and there are other ways of achieving social success and recognition, now children no longer want to be matadors now want to be air traffic controllers.
A practicing bullfighting games valise.
In a park that holds so much history as is the park of El Retiro, material witnesses could not miss the period of the Republic and the Civil War, including a shield Republican and traces of the fighting, present in many places and buildings in Madrid and available to any seasoned observer passing through the streets of this city.
As we have said El Retiro is a park with a long and interesting history behind it, since the seventeenth century until today have been countless episodes and events that have taken place in this emblematic place, many events of great importance and more modest in many cases may go unnoticed. Today we will refer to one of the latter, an episode so inconsequential as the opening of a new gateway to campus.
The year was 1932 and was mayor of the city Pedro Rico, which also occupied the position to place the military coup of July 1936 and beginning the Battle of Madrid in November 1936. At that time, Franco's army arriving at the gates of the capital, the Government decided, not without controversy, moved to Valencia and with the Government a number of people, including the Mayor of Madrid. The car he was riding was stopped at a checkpoint at the height of Tarancón and militiamen realize that it was the Mayor of Madrid, after reproach his cowardice, he was forced to turn around and return to the capital, to share penalties of all local citizens. The Mayor returned, but not to get back in front of City Hall, and upon arrival took refuge in an embassy from where depart into exile some time later. In a future review I will tell the fortunes and adventures of this "Gallardón" Republican, who as you all can imagine and is closely related to the world of bullfighting, not in vain Pedro Rico who inaugurated the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas Holy Spirit, as you could read the first installment chronicling the Shield of the Republic.
The Gateway to America as seen from outside the park on the street Menéndez Pelayo.
But back to 1932. On that date the Widening of Madrid had already consolidated and between Menéndez Pelayo and had built Esquerdo Doctor and a number of buildings where they lived many locals. To facilitate access to these new neighbors, the City would open in Menéndez Pelayo, at the height of Menorca a new access road to the park, which was much celebrated by the grateful residents. Therefore, a few months later the neighbors agreed to pay out of pocket an artistic plaque commemorating this happy event, to give it to the City of Madrid. As recorded by the ABC newspaper in its edition of April 6, 1933, the day before a large committee of neighbors of the new neighborhood of Menéndez Pelayo traveled to the Casa de la Villa to hand the mayor of Madrid in a plate intended recently opened the door at the Retreat. The plaque had been made in bronze by artist Julio Vicent and paid for by the residents themselves "a sign of gratitude for opening the door of America, which gives access to retirement and much shorter way to the center of the town ". The plaque and under the shield is an inscription in gold letters embossed with the following: "THE CITY OF 1932 OPENING according your neighborhood residents."
Detail of the door plate crown, a gift from neighbors in 1932 the City of Madrid.
Fortunately, this board has been preserved, and today we can see if we approach this beautiful park in Madrid. Also, in the same park gate, down a little to the Hospital del Niño Jesus, we can envisage a series of impacts, more or less just across the street Ibiza, of which we have yet to determine its origin, do not know if they come the explosion of a projectile during the Civil War either belong to the era of the War of Independence, let us not forget that the retreat was the place chosen by Napoleon to house its troops, and that the neighbor can Puerta de Alcalá also noted that impacts contest.
View of the neighboring Puerta de Alcalá, where we see a number of impacts produced during the War of Independence. 
Section of the wall and gate of the park on the street Menéndez Pelayo with a number of impacts, which know their origin.
Retreat keeps us in some other surprises that will discuss in a forthcoming review. Meanwhile here I leave a photograph reader sent me a friend and says it is a shield that is located in El Retiro, although does not know his exact location. I gave a tour of the park in search of this relic, but was unsuccessful. I would appreciate it if some of you know his location, or strolling through the park find it, do the favor of leaving a comment on this blog stating your location. Thank you very much in advance. Florentino
Sanders.
Ceramic Mural located as an informant in the Retiro park which exacata not know your location, if any of you know where it is located comunicarana we would be grateful that this wording. 
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