Bienvenidos á Madrid
Welcome to the Royal City
by Michael Strayer

Via Madrid, families are invited to experience the uniqueness of Spanish culture that sets Spain apart from the rest of her European cousins. Madrid is the perfect launch pad for your family’s Spanish crusade.

In 1870, Miletón Trejo emigrated from Spain to Utah, where he became the first Spanish member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Later, he helped in translating the Book of Mormon into the Spanish language. But a lack of religious freedom and other forces prevented the Church from being established in Spain until nearly one hundred years later. 

During the 1960s, members of the Church stationed on U.S. Army bases in Spain formed the first LDS branches near Madrid. In 1966 one of the first Spanish converts, José María Oliveira, was baptized in France because baptisms were illegal in Spain. But the Spanish Religious Liberty Law was passed in 1967 and the Spanish government officially recognized the Church by October of the next year. The first missionaries in over one hundred years arrived in May of 1969. Five years later, seventeen branches were operating in Spain. 

It wasn’t until 1978 that the Constitution of Spain defined modern religious freedom. The 1978 document guarantees complete religious freedom and declares that there will be no state religion. It also affirms that public authorities are to take into account the religious beliefs of Spanish society and that they are to maintain cooperative relations with the Roman Catholic Church and with other religions.  

Shortly after the realization of Spanish religious freedom, the Book of Mormon was translated into another language spoken in parts of Spain, Catalan. Spain’s first stake was established in Madrid in 1982, with its first convert, José María Oliveira, as stake president. Several stakes followed, and members had high attendance and many native missionaries out in the field.

During that same year, several Church presidents visited King Juan Carlos and Spanish mayors, accompanied by Royal Senator Victor de la Serna, a great friend to Latter-day Saints. Ten years later, President Gordon B. Hinckley presented the King and Queen of Spain with a personalized copy of the Book of Mormon and Queen Sofia told him how much she enjoyed songs by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. During this time, Spain became one of the countries to receive general conference broadcasts by satellite. 

Thirty years after the Church’s humble beginnings in Spain, the Madrid LDS Temple was dedicated by President Hinckley as the fifth temple in continental Europe. Today, there are nearly 40,000 members in nine stakes throughout Spain.  

4 Places You Must See in Madrid 

The Madrid Temple

The Madrid LDS temple sparkles with white marble, Arabic style gardens, and Moorish fountains. The grounds are perfect for contemplation, and missionaries stationed in the adjacent stake center give free tours and history lessons about the temple. The temple grounds are also home to the Madrid MTC and Spaniards take pride in decorating the entire Madrid “temple square” for holidays. The temple is just ten kilometers south of the Madrid airport and near a metro stop close to the center of the city.

The Alcazar of Segovia

The Alcazar of Segovia reigns high above its quaint host town in the mountains outside Madrid. Kids will love the museum located within its walls with an impressive collection of armor, canons, and swords directly from Spanish history books. Visit the throne room where Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand commissioned Columbus to set sail and walk on the turrets, pretending you’re the king or queen of Spain for a moment, an hour, or even an entire day!

The Prado National Art Museum

The Prado National Art Museum houses the world’s foremost collection of Spanish Renaissance, Romantic, Flemish, and Italian masterpieces. You could spend a week within the walls of the Prado and still not see every piece of art in detail. The museum offers tours in English and is reasonably priced. Do not miss it if you love Velasquez, Rubens, Van Eyke, or Goya.

El Escorial

Felipe II’s sixteenth-century palace is just an hour’s drive from Madrid and well worth it. The palace-monastery boasts more than twelve miles of passageways and 2,673 windows affording stunning views of the surrounding mountains. 

Segovia

Segovia, only a two hour train ride from Madrid, beams with ancient charm and serves as a country getaway replete with historical significance. The still-functioning 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct dominates Segovia’s central plaza with its 118 arches. Then make your way through the winding streets to the gothic cathedral and then Segovia’s Alcazar. Now a Spanish war museum, the palace Alcazar stands as a lasting testimony to the power and wealth of renaissance Spain. Looking out from the ancient city wall, the Alcazar of Segovia rivals the beauty of more popular European castles. Economically, Segovia is also a winner; the Aqueduct is free, and the Alcazar offers cheap family tours.

Toledo

The ancient city of Toledo is another dynamic destination for those adventurers looking to daytrip near Madrid. Contrary to popular legend, Toledo is not just a bastion for Lladró and sword collectors, although it is exceptional if either of the two tickles your collecting fancy. The city of Toledo rises above the Tajo River, which acts as a virtual mote, like a mythical spire. Toledo is famous for its diverse cultural tradition laying claim to two ancient Jewish synagogues, two Moorish mosques, and innumerable Christian fortifications and religious landmarks.

Don’t miss the Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca and the Synagogue of the Terminal with their beautifully worn Jewish iconography and staunch pillars. Another artsy attraction of Toledo is El Greco’s famous painting “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz,” a must-see for its unusual use of colors (El Greco’s trademark) and composition. The painting is located in the Church of Saint Thomas with its exemplary Mudéjar style (an architectural style resulting from twelfth-century Jewish, Muslim, and Christian cultures living side-by-side).  

Casa De Campo

Casa de Campo sprawls on the outskirts of Madrid, and is a perfect haven for entertaining children. Casa de Campo sports an amusement park, the Madrid Zoo, and the Zoo Aquarium. State of the art subway and bus systems make it easy to visit the amusement park of Casa de Campo, catch a bullfight, and watch the world’s number one soccer team, Real Madrid, quickly and efficiently. If buses and subways do not appeal to your family, then taxis are another option. Ride on the newly reconstructed rail car located at the end of the metro line that gazes out over the city. However you get there, get to Casa de Campo, and allow a few hours to enjoy the many trails and forested park.

Buen Retiro

The Park of Buen Retiro (good rest) is perfect for relaxing, picnicking, and playing a game of football (soccer, that is). Picnic and enjoy its artificial lake, forest setting, and grandiose seventeenth-century monuments. The park was the personal stomping grounds of King Phillip the IV, and now the public can paddle a boat across his pond, critique his personal art collection inside the palace, and jump and play in the piles of leafs in its forested periphery.

Flamenco Dancing

The art of flamenco dancing is native to Andalusia, but common also in the capital city. It makes stomping and singing at the top of your lungs socially acceptable behaviors and your kids will love it. However, flamenco is not a childish tantrum, but a gateway into the Spanish soul, impressively improvisational, and captivating. An experience at a flamenco concert will leave you wide-eyed and dancing in the streets.

An Insider’s View

Don’t miss a chance to see the world’s number one soccer team Real Madrid play in Bernabéu Stadium. Get decent seats at short notice and watch up close soccer legends Beckham, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, and Raul.

An Insider’s View

If you love shopping, the Puerta del Sol and nearby Gran Via will be your most coveted stops for Spanish shoes, trendy euro-clothes, and gypsy scarves. The Puerta del Sol is ground zero, and legend has it that all Spanish roads stem from this metropolitan plaza. If you’re lucky, pick up some cheap knockoffs from the street vendors as you climb and descend the narrow streets and alleyways of Hapsburg Madrid.

Along The Way

• The Moncloa district is home to the Museo de las Americas which holds treasures brought back from Spanish expeditions to America. Incan pottery, Mayan sundials, and primitive basketry line its cluttered halls. The museum is a jewel for history buffs.

• While in central Madrid don’t forget to visit its many plazas. La plaza de Cervantes is a great place to end an evening stroll along the Gran Via and look over the huge bronze statues of the ineffable Don Quixote and his incorrigible sidekick Sancho Panza guarding the plaza. Take a snapshot on top of Quixote’s horse or feed the pigeons.

• The Tower of Moncloa, as locals affectionately call it, is a great place to watch the sunset after a long day of sightseeing. Descending from the tower, the Casa de Campo houses an enormous refuge from the blazing city life of downtown Madrid.

• The Royal Palace lies on the outskirts of Hapsburg Madrid; make an effort to visit its beautiful Roman gardens overlooking the Manzanares River.

LDS Living Magazine