Madrid is an open city, which welcomes with open arms the thousands of tourists who want to immerse themselves in the history and imagination of its streets. But the city also hides a dark side… Secret stories, myths and legends that do not appear in the tourist guides and mysteries of Madrid in which horror is the protagonist.
True or invented, the popular stories of Madrid continue to amaze those who listen to them. Some are starred by ghosts, others by mythological characters of flesh and blood.
In Wonder Tour, we have selected some of these mysteries of Madrid. Because we believe that a visitor or a native of Madrid should know the dark side of the city.
Ghosts of the Linares Palace.
It is undoubtedly one of the first things that come to mind when talking about the mysteries of Madrid. Raimondita, in particular, was the daughter of José de Murga and Raimunda Osorio, Marqueses de Linares, a prominent marriage of the Madrid bourgeoisie of the 19th century and lived at the Palacio de Linares.
After they got married, they found out they were brothers, but they never stopped loving each other. When their daughter was born, their secret was threatened and they decided to kill her. Her soul continues to roam the rooms of the current Casa de las Américas, many say they hear the cry of a child for her mother and of a mother who sobs because her daughter could not call her mother.
Inquisition in the Plaza Mayor.
In this case, it has nothing to do with ghosts, but it is still one of the mysteries of Madrid. What happened in the Plaza Mayor during the hardest days of the Inquisition is history. Hundreds of “Autos de Fe” took place in this central location, which is now included in all tourist guides.
From here the condemned were set on fire. Executions were also carried out in the Plaza Mayor. Specifically, between 1642 and 1809 359 executions were carried out by hanging or hanging.
Vampires at the slaughterhouse
The slaughterhouse was a real slaughterhouse from its construction to the present day, as hundreds of animals were killed daily to supply meat to the capital. The blood shed by these animals was attractive to a large number of inhabitants of the city, who came daily to fill their vessels with hot blood.
A report published in the magazine Estampa in 1933 showed that these “vampires” were in the capital and caused a great social scandal.
The furious bears of Campo del Morro
A walk through this beautiful park will help you understand why it has become the scene of countless legends, being one of the mysteries of Madrid. One of the most famous is the story of John II of Castile, who became king at the beginning of the 15th century, when he was only 14 years old.
The young king liked to play with wild animals and hired the most popular bear tamer. The man was violent with the animal, and one dark night the animal devoured him.
Since then, over the centuries, many people have claimed to have heard the cries of man from time to time.
The Devil at the Puerta de Sol
There was a time when the French were much more hated than other Europeans. As a result, legend has it that Satan appeared in the Casa de Correos (present-day Madrid City Hall) during its construction and warned that the building was cursed.
Why? Because it was designed by Frenchman Jacques Marquet. This belief is not limited to anecdotes, as the building has been blessed by a priest to ward off evil, but some claim that the devil never left the site, as the design remains intact.
The devil’s cabaret.
It is one of the mysteries of Madrid, which went from legend to a 100% real devil. At least that was the name of one of the places of entertainment in democratic Spain that provoked the greatest indignation among Catholics. The Devil’s Cabaret, opened in 1934, hosted fun fiendish parties with decorations that paid homage to Hell.
Many artists and poets of the time, such as Pablo Neruda, frequented this place in Pasaje Doré, which, after the Franco regime came to power, went on to be called Tarzán.
Crime in Fuencarral Street.
Converted into a shopping centre, Calle Fuencarral owes its name to one of the most popular crimes in Spain at the end of the 19th century. In 1888, while Jack the Ripper was operating in London, Luciana Boltino, Vasquez Barrera’s widow, was murdered at 109 (now 95) Street.
The crime shocked Madrid society and for several months women were not allowed to go out alone in the city. It was also one of the first cases widely reported in the media, to the point that it inspired The Crimes of Fuencarral de Galdós. The 28-year-old maid, Higinia de Balaguer Ostale, was executed for this crime and 20,000 people witnessed the execution.
Rey Mago Nazis in Madrid
Los abuelos con hijos en Madrid en 1941 quizá recuerden lo que ocurrió en Navidad. Apenas dos años después del final de la guerra, el régimen franquista tuvo la idea de invitar a los representantes de Hitler a regalar juguetes a los niños frente a la embajada alemana, en la confluencia de las calles Castilla y Fortuny.
Suicide viaducts
For many years, the Segovia viaduct was one of the most frequent suicide sites in Madrid. After all, it was not for nothing that the city council protected the sides with methacrylate resin partitions and continues to try to discourage suicides.
With its 23 meters high, it has long been known as a suicide site.
The Vallecas case
Occultists of a certain age will remember an incident that took place in the popular neighborhood of Vallecas in 1991. It started with several girls practicing with a Ouija board and was followed by a series of paranormal phenomena, such as flying knives, objects burning for no reason, voices and furniture moving on its own.
The case resulted in the only police file in Spain documenting paranormal phenomena. Inspector Pedro Negri confirmed all the witness statements.
Wonder Tour offers you the Private Tour of Old Madrid
A private tour of Old Madrid is a walking tour through the heart of Madrid’s old town, where some of the city’s oldest squares, buildings and streets are still preserved.
On this private tour, you will learn about the stories, legends and curiosities that make up every element of the history of the Spanish capital, including the mysteries of Madrid. You will also stop at the Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid’s temple of gastronomy and modern essence, where all the geographical corners of Spain meet in culinary matters.
Discover the stories, legends and old streets of Madrid on foot with an expert guide. Check out our Tour!