Visit the Plaza de Colón in Madrid. Church of Santa Barbara
One of the most important squares in Madrid and which serves as a separation between Paseo de Recoletos and Paseo de la Castellana is Plaza de Colón.
Nearby are also the most exclusive shopping streets in Madrid such as Serrano, Goya or Velázquez, where you can find the most expensive shops in the city. Undoubtedly a great place to walk and enjoy Madrid.
And a few steps away you have the Church of Santa Bárbara, which for many is the most beautiful church in Madrid.
What to see in the Plaza de Colón
The Plaza de Colón is an open space with large buildings and many places of interest both in it and in its surroundings.
From the Plaza de Colón, what we can highlight mainly is the Statue of Columbus, a 17-meter-high statue.
This statue was erected between 1881 and 1885 to commemorate the wedding between Alfonso XII and María de las Mercedes.
In the Plaza de Colón we also have the Gardens of Discovery, inaugurated in 1970. Under these gardens is the Fernando Fernán Gomez Art Center and in the upper part a huge Spanish flag of almost 300 square meters and located 50 meters high..
Among the buildings that surround the square, the Torres de Colón stand out, standing 116 meters high and built in a very original way with two central pillars that support a platform from which the facades fall.
Visit the Church of Santa Barbara
Next to the Plaza de Colón we can find what many consider the most beautiful church in Madrid.
It is the Church of Santa Bárbara, the church of the Convent of the Salesas Reales.
In the Church of Santa Bárbara, built by order of Bárbara de Bragança in 1722, the remains of King Ferdinand VI are buried, as well as Bárbara de Bragança herself.
The main facade of the Church of Santa Bárbara consists of 8 pillars. It highlights the stained glass window that represents Santa Bárbara and a stone cross with two kneeling angels and two towers that rise on the facade.
Of the interior, of baroque style, the monumentality of the tombs of Bárbara de Bragança and Fernando VI stands out. It should also be noted that they are the only Spanish kings who are buried in Spain at their own wish.
Both tombs are together although a wall separates them, so one must be seen from the sacristy and the other from the church. The altarpieces and their paintings, the pulpit, O’Donnell’s tomb or the presbytery are other points of interest inside the church.
The Plaza de la Villa de Paris and the Supreme Court
Next to the Church of Santa Bárbara and behind the Centro Colón, whose main façade faces the Plaza de Colón, we find the Plaza de la Villa de París.
In this square, which was an orchard of the convent of the Salesas Reales, there is a statue of Fernando VI that had once been in Aranjuez.
The Plaza itself is very beautiful, but without a doubt its main point of interest is the Supreme Court, which is actually part of the Salesas Reales Convent.
The main facade, which overlooks the Plaza de la Villa de Paris and its dome are worth a visit, but its French-inspired Baroque interior with marble floors is a delight for visitors.
