Other Attractions
Current City Hall:
The current City Hall of Madrid is the Communications Palace ("Palacio de las Comunicaciones" in spanish).
It is a magnificent building situated along the south side of the
Cibeles Square. In 2007 the building was transformed into
the new home of Madrid's city council.
Even though Madrid's city hall looks like a high-gothic cathedral, it was originally built in the early 20th
century as the main office of the Spanish postal service, hence its name Communications Palace. It continued to
serve that purpose for about a century until November 2007 when it took over the function of city hall from
the much less impressive "Casa de la Villa" at the Plaza de la Villa Square.
Its architecture is a combination of the gothic style with neoclassical elements.
The building's facade is elaborately decorated with cartouches and pilasters.
Long pinnacles adorn the top of the towers, the tallest of which reaches a height of about 40 meter.
Directions:
Current City Hall (Communications Palace)
Plaza de Cibeles
28014 Madrid
Phone: +34 91 521 65 00
* Line 2 - Banco de España station.
Old City Hall:
The old City Hall of Madrid was the "Casa de la Villa", situated in the charming historic Plaza de la Villa Square,
between Puerta del Sol,
Plaza Mayor and the Orient Square. This square
was one of the focal points of activity in mediaeval Madrid.
Several important buildings are also located in the Plaza de la Villa, one of the oldest plazas in Madrid. The
oldest building is the Torre de los Lujanes, built in the Gothic style in the fifteenth century. Another
building, the Casa de Cisneros, was built in 1537. Alongside it is the the old town hall. It was built by the
architect Juan Goméz de Mora, designer of the Plaza Mayor,
and it is architecturally similar with a relatively austere red-orange facade and mansard roof, and steep-roofed
corner towers.
Directions:
Old City Hall (Casa de la Villa)
Plaza de la Villa
28005 Madrid
* Lines 1, 2 or 3 - Sol station.
* Lines 2, 5 or R - Opera station.