Page 108 - 360.revista de Alta Velocidad - Nº 6

Ayrault Pérez, Juan

5. Urban development in the 19th Century

5.1 Breaking the limits

On 1860 Carlos María de Castro projected the Madrid urban enlargement plan that bears his
name. The plan forecast the city growth on the north, west and south. The whole Atocha area
was redesigned, although the existing railway obliged to adapt the regular pattern of the plan
to the existing railway facilities and respected too the layout of the baroque avenues from
1750. The demolition of the 1625 wall by the revolution called ‘La Gloriosa (The Glorious)’
accelerated the process.
5.2 New neighbours in town

In these new grounds, redesigned by the square pattern of Castro’s plan, other relevant buildings
dedicated to culture and politics were added:
• In 1875, Dr. Pedro González Velasco founded the Anatomic museum, nowadays National
Anthropology Museum.
• In 1897, the Ministry of Fomento (Agriculture, Industry and Public Works), designed by
architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, was built on the grounds of the Royal Botanical Garden.
The same building currently houses the Ministry of Environment.

• In 1899, the Pantheon of Illustrious Men was partially established on the grounds of the
former Dominican convent of Atocha. Due to the lack of funds, only the courtyard and the
campanile were built.

Figure 15: Carlos M. de Castro
enlargement plan and public buildings
implemented.
Source: www.madrid.es and Juan Ayrault

Figures 16 – 17 – 18: Ministry of ‘Fomento’ –Anatomic Museum –Pantheon of Illustrious Men
Sources: https://artedemadrid.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/el‐palacio‐de‐fomento/
http://www.historiadelamedicina.org/Instrumentos/instrumento_157.html
http://urbanity.cc

106 360.revista de alta velocidad