Paseo de la Castellana

Paseo de la Castellana The development of the street

© Berit Wildschütte

La Fuente Castellana 1614 - 1621

Before the construction of the “Canal de Isabel“ the water supply of Madrid was transfered from the Manzanares River to fourteen fontains. Theses where standing on “La Fuente Castellana“ constructed between 1614 and 1621 and lead al-most through the howle city (now “Paseo de la Castellana”)

In 1786 they conditioned all the water of the fontains in one big basin (today the “Plaza del Colon”). The canalisation was finished in 1807. A few years later - in 1830 - the urban development of the area began and the project finished in 1834.

A line of trees where planted along the road.

The avenue was baptized with the name “Paseo Nuevo Delicias de la Princesa“, in honor to future Elizabeth II. But it has been always known as the “Paseo de la Fuente Castellana“, taken of the one that existed, which is today the roundabout of Emilio Castelar.

To be able to understand the need for the exten-sion of the “Paseo de la Castellana”, it is neces-sary to go back in the middle of last century and see the "difficulties" that Madrid of then had. The Town was surrounded by a fence constructed by the the order of Felipe IV in 1656. This was preventing the city from growing and spreading, even thought that the population wasgrowing through those two hundred years.In the late eighteenth century, Jovellanos present-ed an extensive report about the need to broaden the capital. It disposed forty-two roads that led out from the center, including the extention of the “Paseo de la Castellana”.But it was not held until 1868, when the fence was pulled down.

In 1846, the Government commissioned the engineer John Merlo for the widening project. He made a map of the new limits of Madrid. A year later he was rejected by the city because of the opinion of the Councilman Mesonero Romans. He said that the city need to restructure first before ex-tending. The City proposed to not just build the houses low rather to add an upper floor, so Madrid could grow upward rather than toward the wide and they would not need an expansion plan. The population of Madrid was gradual increasing in 1846 it had 200,000 inhabitants, in 1858 275,000, and the prognose said within the next 10 years it would surpass the 300,000. The city was forced to act immediately to expand the city. From 1860 to 1900 Madrid had an increase of 276,538 inhabitants. In 1858 the Government authorized the engineer Carlos María de Castro to wrie a new expansion plan, which was approved two years later. Castro’s plan was to change the positions of the city limits, but still leaving the city in an enclosed space.

1.500.000

Castro divided Madrid into different areas. The neighborhood for the aristocracy, was between Almagro Street and the “Paseo de la Castellana”. For the middle bourgeoisie, Castro suggested another area, adjacent to the above, the Barrio de Salamanca, the work-ing class districts was situated to the north and east of the city and finally, the industrial zone located in the South. Madrid was then divided into the Old Town, Windening and Suburbs and the “Paseo de la Castellana” became the axis of connection between these three areas.

Industrial Zone

Old Town: Neighborhood for the aristocracy

For the middle bourgeosie

North till East: is for the work-ing class ditrict

From the second half of the 19th century, the new «aris-tocracy of the money» appeared, arisen from the banking, the commerce and the railroad.They choose the “Paseo de la Castellana” for the axis to raise its hotels and splendid neighborhood houses. The people preferred the living in the Widening, opposite to the advantage to live in the precincts of the “Puerta del Sol”. The common denominator of these small palaces and hotels was its isolated character, it was allowed to surround the houses with gardens, an idea that could not be done in the Old Town.

Since 1926 they are al-ways argueing about the Road and the laws since they always want to make it wider and longer.

Today the Plaseo de la Castellana is 6.3 km long and one of the longest and widest avenues of Madrid.Many business, banking and financial buildings are located along the road. It has up to 10 car lanes plus the sidewalk.As part of an ambitious project called Operación Chamartín, it is planned to extend it further to the north, where a big number of railway lines will be dug underground and the area will be transformed with high-rise buildings. This project was recently brought to life again, after many years of debate.

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A map of “The Paseo de la Castellana” - today