One of the first fictims of the military coup that launched the Spanish Civil War, José Calvo…read moreSotelo, 1st Duke was killed by bodyguards of the Socialist party leader Indalecio Prieto. Calvo Sotelo recieved a degree in Law and moved to Madrid and in the 1919 election to the Congress of Deputies, he won the seat. In 1922, he was the Civil Governor of Valencia. The story leading up to his death is quite tragic and I'd prefer not to share the details. His funeral in 1936 was attended by thousands of rightists. The anti-republicans completed a military coup and in 1960, Franco mentioned that the revolt would never have happened if not for the assassination which marked the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. So here's this statue of the man in Plaza de Castilla. Stop by and pay your respects. [Review 12549 overall, 2339 of 2019.]

To mark the 300th anniversary of its founding in 1702, the Caja Madrid bank (now part of Bankia)…read morecommissioned architect and sculptor Santiago Calatrava to design a monument that would be donated to the City of Madrid. Initially planned to be 120 meters tall, it was shortened to 92 due to the excessive weight that it would bear on the tunnels underneath Plaza de Castilla. Officially opened on December 23, 2009 by his majesty Juan Carlos I. The obelisk, combined with the unique architecture of the two angled buildings of the square, makes for a very interesting picture. You can walk to the north and carefully stand on the divider of Pasel de la Castelana to get the picture. Worth it. The odd building in the center background that looks like a domino tile? That's the new headquarters of Caja Madrid. 45 stories and 250 meters tall, it is the second tallest building in all of Spain, the 21st tallest in Europe. [Review 12548 overall, 2338 of 2019.]