Ilustración y fragmento de la novela "Fortunata y Jacinta" en los andenes de la estación de Ríos Rosas

The most literary Madrid from metro to metro

Do you also devour books in summer? If so, you're sure to have your selection ready for August. But if you’re staying in Madrid and you like walking, here’s a very special route through our favourite literary spots. Do you know them all? Take note, because you can reach them all by metro!

29/07/2022 -

Let’s start at the Barrio de las Letras. Lope de Vega lived there, in a house in Cervantes Street that today houses his museum, and he is also buried there, in the church of San Sebastián.

Nearby, in the Convent of the Trinitarias Descalzas, rests another genius, Miguel de Cervantes. Isn't it interesting that Lope was born in Cervantes Street and Cervantes rests in Lope de Vega Street?

? Antón Martín (L1)

Interior de la Casa Museo de Lope de Vega, con una mesa con sillas en primera plano y una estantería al fondo.

Iglesia de San Sebastián de Madrid

Convento de las Trinitarias Descalzas

Acceso a la estación de metro de Antón Martín

Speaking of Cervantes: the first version of Don Quixote was printed in 1605 in Calle Atocha, in the old Juan de la Cuesta printing house, which today is home to the Cervantes Society.

You don't have to go far from where you are to visit it, because you can also get there from the Antón Martín metro station (L1).



Escultura en la fachada de la Sociedad Cervantina que recuerda que en la antigua imprenta Juan de la Cuesta se imprimió el Quijote y en la que se representa una escena de la novela.

Placa en la fachada del edificio de la Sociedad Cervantina que recuerda que en la imprenta que ocupaba ese solar se imprimió el Quijote.

By the way, did you know that you can read all of Don Quixote at Plaza de España station? And you can also retrace his story in this station through 10 quotes and 13 engravings that reproduce different scenes from the life of the ingenious gentleman. Don't miss it!

? Plaza de España (L3 y L10).

Reproducción del Quijote en uno de los andenes de la estación de Plaza de España.

Let’s change century and move to the Callejón del Gato, immortalised by Valle Inclán in his work Luces de Bohemia and today a tapas area. Look for the mirrors in the novel!

And since we are at “Kilometre 0” and speaking of Valle Inclán... Did you know that he lost an arm at Café de la Montaña during an argument? Today, a well-known brand of electronic products is located in the same place.

? Sol (L1, L2 y L3)

Fachada del edificio de la Puerta del Sol que albergó el Café de la Montaña.

Placas que recuerdan en el edificio de la Puerta del Sol que albergó el Café de la Montaña que allí perdió un brazo Valle Inclán.

Speaking of taverns... Very close to Sol is La Fontana de Oro still, which gives its name to the first novel by Benito Pérez Galdós, one of the authors who has dedicated most pages to Madrid.

? Sol (L1, L2 y L3)

Taberna La Fontana de Oro

Boca de Metro de Sol

Continuing with Galdós, we can’t forget to mention his novel Fortunata and Jacinta, whose main characters lived between the Plaza Mayor and Pontejos. Remember you can read it in full at Ríos Rosas station (L1).

Reproducción de la novela Fortunata y Jacinta en uno de los andenes de la estación de Ríos Rosas.

It was precisely in Ríos Rosas where Camilo José Cela lived and where he wrote La Colmena, which begins at Café La Delicia, in Fuencarral Street.

Without going too far back in time, we can remember the poet Rosalía de Castro, who lived in Ballesta Street in Malasaña, and during her stay in Madrid published her first work, "La Flor".

? Gran Vía (L1 y L5), Chueca (L5) y Callao (L3 y L5)

Fachada de la antigua casa de Rosalía de Castro, a quien se la recuerda en una placa.

Let’s continue in the centre of Madrid, but move to Princesa Street, because Emilia Pardo Bazán, the first woman to chair the Literature section of the Ateneo de Madrid, lived and died in the now disappeared Palacete de Pozas.

Did you know that last year marked a century since her death? We wanted to pay tribute to her with this thread:

? Argüelles (L3, L4 y L6) y Ventura Rodríguez (L3)

Placa que recuerda a la escritora Emilia Pardo Bazán en la casa en la que vivió.

Boca de Metro de Argüelles

Another writer we admire, Elena Fortún, was born in Bailén Street and lived in Villanueva Street and Huertas Street, where a plaque commemorates her. Her best-known character, Celia, lived in Serrano Street.

? Ópera (L2, L5 y R) y Serrano (L4)

Placa que recuerda a la escritora Elena Fortún en la casa en la que pasó su infancia.

And let’s close the route with two illustrious foreigners. The first one is Víctor Hugo, who studied at the Colegio de San Antón, in Hortaleza Street, today the headquarters of the Madrid School of Architects.

And of course Hemingway! On his first visit he stayed at Pensión Aguilar, which is still a hostel on Carrera de San Jerónimo, and during the war he lived at the Florida Hotel in Callao, which no longer exists.

The truth is that his stays in Madrid gave us so much that we couldn’t resist remembering him too with a thread. Here it is!

? Chueca (L5), Sevilla (L2) y Callao (L3 y L5)

Placa que recuerda el lugar en el que se ubicó el Hotel Florida

Acceso a la estación de Callao

Did you like the route? Then explore it on metro and, of course, read along the way.

If you don't want to take your book with you, you will find fragments of some great works on the trains on the posters of Libros a la calle, an initiative that celebrated its 25th anniversary this year.

And if you prefer to turn the pages and enjoy the unmistakable feel of the paper, remember that you have at your disposal bibliometros in 12 stations of the network.

You can find more information here: https://www.metromadrid.es/es/viaja-en-metro/bibliometros

So now you know... this summer, read and enjoy!

Fragmento de “El infinito en un Junto” de Irene Vallejo, uno de los carteles de la actual edición de “Libros a la calle”

Letra de la canción “Al Alba”, de Luis Eduardo Aute, uno de los carteles de la actual edición de “Libros a la calle”