Casa de la Panadería facts for kids
The Casa de la Panadería is a famous building in Madrid, Spain. It stands on the north side of the main square, called the Plaza Mayor. The building has four floors. The bottom floor has arched walkways, and the top floor looks like an attic. Its sides are topped with cool corner towers.
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History of the Building
The Casa de la Panadería, which means "Bakery House," was built when the Plaza Mayor itself was being created. A designer named Juan Gómez de Mora finished building it in 1619.
Later, in 1672, a big fire damaged the Plaza. The Casa de la Panadería had to be rebuilt. This work was done by Tomás Román in just seventeen months. He hired famous painters like Claudio Coello and José Jiménez Donoso to decorate the inside and paint beautiful pictures on the outside walls.
Another fire hit the Plaza in 1790. The Casa de la Panadería survived again and helped guide how the rest of the Plaza was rebuilt by Juan de Villanueva.
Over the years, the Casa de la Panadería has been updated several times. In 1988, the city of Madrid held a contest to redecorate the outside walls because the old paintings were very worn out. Artist Carlos Franco won the contest. His design included figures from old stories, like Cybele and Bacchus, mixed with parts of Madrid's history. These new paintings were finished in 1992.
What the Building Was Used For
At first, the ground floor of the Casa de la Panadería was home to the town's main bakery. That's how it got its name!
Over time, it was used for many different things. From 1745 to 1774, it was the home of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (Royal Academy of Fine Arts). The Real Academia de la Historia (Royal Academy of History) was also there for many years.
Later, the Madrid City Council took over the building. It became a city hall annex, then a public library, and even the city's archives. Today, the Casa de la Panadería houses the Madrid Tourist Board. The ground floor is now the Madrid Tourism Center, where visitors can get information about the city.
Special Features
Spanish Coat of Arms
At the very top center of the Casa de la Panadería, you can see the royal Spanish coat of arms. This shield represents the royal family from the time of King Charles II.
The shield shows symbols of different kingdoms that were part of Spain back then. For example, you can see the castles of Castile and the lions of León. There are also symbols for places like Aragón, Sicily, and Flanders. It's like a historical map shown through symbols!
See also
In Spanish: Casa de la Panader%C3%ADa para ni%C3%B1os
Images for kids
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Frescoes on the facade of the building
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Inside the Plaza Mayor, showing a gate sign and frescoes
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The coat of arms of King Charles II on the building's facade
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A commemorative plaque on the Plaza Mayor
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Another historical plaque on the Plaza Mayor
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