Situated on the important road to northwestern Spain and France, the Puerta de Alcalá was a major element in Charles III's plan for the embellishment of eastern Madrid. The Alcalá Gate is a monument in the Plaza de la Independencia ("Independence Square"), very close to the city centre and several meters away from the main entrance to the Parque del Buen Retiro.

The Puerta de Alcalá was originally constructed in 1599 to welcome doña Margarita de Austria (wife of King Felipe III) to Madrid. However, the original gate didn't like to the later King Carlos III and was replaced by a new one. In fact, in 1764 Carlos III ordered the gate to be torn down and decided to construct a new gate that was worthy of his greatness. This Neo-Classical gate was built by his architect, Francesco Sabatini, between 1769 annd 1778, the gate comprises five arches topped by angels, marked the eastern edge of the city up to the mid-1800s.

Puerta de Alcalá - Madrid
Location	Plaza de la Independencia
Transportation	Metro: Retiro. Bus: 1, 9, 19, 20, 28, 51, 52, or 146

The Church of San Jeronimo is a small, but very important church in Madrid, just beyond the Puerta de Felipe IV at Retiro Park. This church dates back to the 16th century, but has been restored many times and only a few external features remain from its early days. Inside, there are several famous paintings by Carducho and Jose Mendez along with valuable sculptures like Juan de Mena's 18th-century Cristo de la Buena Muerte, neo-Gothic lamps and stained-glass windows. This is a very popular, full of history church; kings and queens sought refuge here, Spanish parliaments were sworn in here, Alfonso XIII was married here and King Juan Carlos I was proclaimed King of Spain in this historic and ancient building.

San Jerónimo el Real - Madrid
Address	Calle Moreto, 4, Madrid, Spain
Phone	91 420 35 78 / 91 420 30 78
Website	San Jerónimo el Real
eMail	sanjeronimoelreal@hotmail.com

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