Fortunata and Jacinta walk through the Rios Rosas station

It is an initiative of Metro de Madrid and the Madrid Publishers Association with which they pay tribute to Benito Pérez Galdós on the centenary of his death. Thus, the underground has decorated the platforms and corridors of the station with the full text of the novel Fortunata and Jacinta, as well as illustrations and notable quotes from the work. To do this, 288 plates with almost 2 million dies have been used, occupying around 290 linear metres.

The Ríos Rosas station on line 1 has been chosen for this initiative, as part of the plot of the novel takes place in the streets of the neighbourhood. With this, the underground aims to encourage reading among underground users, whose trains become a place of reading for many Madrid residents every day. 

The illustrations next to the paragraphs of the novel are by 'Naranjalidad', a pseudonym the illustrator and architect Beatriz Ramo uses. Her vision of the novel combines portraits with natural settings, many colours and light touches of surrealism. Her style is mainly defined by the use of pencils, charcoal, watercolours and digital technology.

A number of notable quotes from the book have also been selected, such as, ‘Political morality is like a patchwork cloak, one does not know which is the primitive fabric any more’ and 'Lack of education is a greater disadvantage to the poor than poverty'.

Pérez Galdós joins other literary authors who already have stations themed with their work, as is the case of Miguel de Cervantes and 'Don Quixote' at the Plaza de España station and Antonio Mingote, at the Rubén Darío station.