Don Quixote conquers Plaza de España underground station on the occasion of World Book Day

As from today, the platforms of Plaza de España underground station on line 3 are covered with the complete text of the ingenious nobleman Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes. The Regional Councillor for Transport, Housing and Infrastructures, Rosalía Gonzalo, visited the station today, which has also been decorated with 10 famous quotes and 13 prints that contain different scenes from Don Quixote.

On the eve of the celebration of World Book Day on 23 April, this initiative by Metro de Madrid has the dual aim of improving the passenger experience and of fostering reading among underground users, whose trains become a place for many citizens of Madrid to read each day.

Don Quixote, considered the masterpiece of Spanish literature and one of the main works of universal literature, as well as the most read book after the Bible, has its representation in the form of a sculpture in Plaza de España. Accordingly, Metro de Madrid decided to bring this theme to the station to commemorate World Book Day, which also coincides with the centenary of the company.

This action was carried out in collaboration with the Association of Publishers of Madrid, which is, in turn, responsible for ‘Books to the streets’, a campaign which dates back more than 20 years and which seeks to bring literature to underground passengers thanks to fragments of books by different authors arranged inside train carriages. The aim is to offer new perspectives about little known authors and genres and to commemorate literary events held and awards bestowed over the course of the year.

As from this initial contact, the passenger then has the option to continue reading by going to a bookshop or a library to continue the story begun on their journey. In fact, without even leaving the underground, the passenger could attend any one of the 12 stations on the Madrid underground where Bibliometro is located. 

Plaza de España thus becomes another thematic station to improve the travel experience of users, in addition to La Latina, la Estación del Arte, Retiro, the stations on the Centenary Line on line 1 and the recently inaugurated Arroyofresno. 

MULTIMEDIA AND INTERACTIVE CENTENARY BOOK

With initiatives like World Book Day, Metro de Madrid shows its clear commitment to the spread of culture. To this end, Metro has also published and recently put on sale in its official Metro de Madrid centenary store an interactive work that condenses 100 years of history in an informative and attractive manner for all publics, with the possibility to gaining access to extra content in video format through BIDI codes and a multitude of both historical and current images that have never been seen before, as well as testimonies from employees and users that give a face and a voice to this centenary. In short, a book born out of a vocation to stand the test of time as a graphic and visual memory of a century of history of the Madrid underground and of its people.

METRO AND CULTURE

At a cultural level, Metro de Madrid has recently signed up to the Almagro International Festival for Classical Theatre Foundation to perform a series of actions in the first half of 2019, designed to publicise the literature of the Spanish Golden Age, coinciding with the centenary of the company.

To this end, three videos were posted in which classical texts were recited in underground stations which take their names from creators during the Spanish Golden Age (Velázquez, Tirso de Molina and Quevedo). Furthermore, the presentation will shortly be given of the alternative events ‘Almagro Off’ (focused on new directors) and ‘Barroco Infantil’ [children’s baroque] (aimed at families), set against the backdrop of the classic train exhibition at Chamartín underground station. And in Tirso de Molina square, by the archway to go down into the station, the so-called ‘Karaoke Barroco’ [baroque karaoke] will shortly be held. 

Metro de Madrid will also take part in the Cronoteatro short play competition, organised by the Complutense University, within the framework of the UCM 2019 Arts Week. Its sixth edition will be held in the coming days with the performance of theatre works on various underground platforms and trains.