The secrets of underground Madrid: a route through its Upside Down
The TV series Stranger Things got one thing right: there are two sides to every city in the world. One of them is visible, and we can all enjoy it when we visit Madrid. The second one, however, hides a deep darkness, and it spreads under the feet of the citizens. For instance, the catacombs of the city are a must-see in Rome and Paris. The capital of Spain has its own underground city too, although it is considerably less popular than the ones in the other capitals, probably due to the fact that some parts of it just cannot be accessed. However, throughout history, Madrid has been traversed by passages and tunnels that we can either visit or imagine. Grab a torch and join us on this route through underground Madrid.
When we think about a route through underground Madrid, it inevitably comes to mind the tunnels and stations of Madrid’s Metro: the railway system of the city. In fact, we could write an entire article about the underground of Madrid, considering this framework of tunnels keeps a few corners Madrid’s Metro now exhibits as a museum.
For instance, there is the Metro station of Chamberí, also known as the phantom station. When we travel on line 1 between the Metro stations of Iglesia and Bilbao, we will be able to see, just for a moment, a platform where the train never stops. The first time one spots this station, it might even seem like an illusion. That is obviously not the case. The Metro station of Chamberí was founded when Madrid’s Metro started to work in 1919, and it was up and running until 1966. Nevertheless, it is currently just a museum, and maybe a gateway to the past as well.
Madrid’s Metro hosts two other sites for exhibition. The train station of Pacífico, designed by the same architect behind Chamberí, Antonio Palacios, still keeps its old lobby just as it was in 1923. Likewise, Nave de Motores holds the machinery that used to keep the engines running in the past.
A train exhibition in the station of Chamartín. | Shutterstock
The lesser-known Caños del Peral also works as a museum nowadays. In the past, it was a public fountain supplying water to the city. Under Metro Ópera we can find a replica of the old fountain, the aqueduct Amaniel and the sewers of Arenal.
Two other interesting points from a historical perspective in Madrid’s Metro: the archaeological site of Metro Carpentana and the historical train exhibition in the Chamartín station.
Between November 1936 and March 1937, Spain’s capital city became the front line of the Spanish Civil War. In this context, the citizens of Madrid and the republican government built bunkers and shelters to defend themselves against the enemy. This is the case of the Retiro’s air raid shelter, designed to protect the city’s civilians. During the post-war era, this space was used to grow mushrooms, which worked perfectly thanks to the light and humidity of the building.
A room in the bunker Posición Jaca in the park of El Capricho. | Shutterstock
The bunker known as Posición Jaca is the most famous in the capital. It lies in the park of El Capricho, it has been perfectly preserved and one can even book a visit there. Back then, it was used as a shelter for the Spanish Republican Army.
There is another bunker that served as the headquarters of the Spanish Republican Army under the square of Cibeles. It was disguised as a regular military quarter, but this bunker hid a passageway giving access to the palace of Buenavista, which was the War Ministry back then. Nowadays, it is not possible to go inside, but we can still visit the location that gave access to the bunker: a public restroom between the square of Cibeles and the Prado Museum.
The tunnel of Bonaparte. | Shutterstock
Our journey through underground Madrid will take us through the secret tunnels and passages used by many kings and politics to sneak out. This time, we will come across stories rather than places, since most of these secret passages have been sealed over time. However, we can still come close and imagine the stories that took place there.
Our next stop will take us to the square of La Encarnación, next to the monastery of the same name. During the 18th century, there was an exterior passageway linking this building to the Royal Alcázar of Madrid, which stood on the very place where we can currently see the Royal Palace. It was an outdoors passage everyone could see, and its walls were decorated with many artworks. Legend has it there were other underground passages ending in the Alcázar.
However, we know for a fact that the tunnel of Bonaparte connected the Royal Palace to the park of Casa de Campo. Said passage was built, as its name suggests, by José Bonaparte. They did so in the early 19th century, with the aim of having a way out in case they needed to escape. A century later, during the Spanish Civil War, it was used to store ammunition. Nevertheless, when they built the road M30, the tunnel had to be shut down. However, it still has two entrances: one in Campo del Moro and the other in Madrid Río. They are both closed to the public, though.
Another must-see stop on this route through underground Madrid lies in the Ateneo, a cultural institution of Spain’s capital. If we look behind the statue of Isabel II of Spain that guards the main entrance, we will find a secret door that will take us down a spiral staircase all the way to the Congreso de los Diputados, a legislative branch of Spain’s government. Two corridors depart from this space: one links it to the Ateneo, and the other to Puerta del Sol. In the past —and perhaps currently too— they were escape routes designed to exit the building in case of emergency. Some people believe there were other secret passages there, but it is difficult to know that for sure.
The Congreso de los Diputados hides a secret passage. | Wikimedia
The park of El Retiro hides many secrets too, like the shelter we mentioned before. In the 18th century, it hosted a porcelain factory that stood near the statue of the Fallen Angel. The factory’s name was Real Fábrica de Porcelana del Buen Retiro, and it was internationally acclaimed. They got rid of the factory’s waste through an underground tunnel that connected it to the city’s outskirts: that is, today’s popular Atocha. In this case, the passage can only be accessed by police and a few more workers.
We cannot finish this walk through underground Madrid without mentioning the vault hiding under the fountain of Cibeles. It is protected by an impenetrable security system and it keeps the gold reserves of the Bank of Spain.
We should not forget to mention the intricate system of tunnels and caves under Plaza Mayor either. They were mainly used as warehouses and workrooms, but there are also rumours that they were used by bandits and outlaws to hide from authorities. Either way, it is right here where our route through the underground city of Madrid will finally come to an end.
