The Edificio de Espana was built between 1947 and 1953 and is the most elegant of the two skyscrapers skyscraper n.摩天楼， 高耸的烟囱. It consists of a central 25 story tower flanked by two wings.
The Torre de Madrid was built in 1957. At the time of construction， it was the tallest concrete building in the world with a height of 142m or almost 466ft. Nicknamed La Jirafe or “giraffe”， it was the tallest building in Madrid until the Torre Picasso was built in 1989.
The most popular sight at the Plaza de Espa？a is the monument to Miguel de Cervantes， writer of the world famous story of Don Quixote de la Mancha and his trusty squire squire n.乡绅， 律师， 侍从， 大地主， 治安官 v.随侍， 护卫， Sancho Panza. Visitors flock to the monument to get their picture taken in front of the bronze statues of Don Quixote on his horse and Sancho Panza on his mule mule n.骡， 倔强之人， 顽固的人， 杂交种动物. Behind them a is statue of Cervantes himself， looking over his creations.
The plaza itself is a little on the seedy side especially at night. However， to its north， c/Martín de los Heros is a lively place， day and night， with three of the city，s best cinemas， and behind them the Centro Princesa ， with shops， clubs， bars and a 24hour branch of the ubiquitous ubiquitous adj.到处存在的， (同时)普遍存在的 VIPS - just the place to have your film developed at 4am， or a bite to eat before heading on to a smallhours club. Up the steps opposite the Centro Princesa is c/Conde Duque， dominated by the massive massive adj.厚重的， 大块的， 魁伟的， 结实的 former barracks of the royal guard， constructed in the early eighteenth century by Pedro de Ribera. The barracks have been turned into a dynamic cultural centre， El Centro Cultural de Conde Duque (Tues～Sat 10a.m.～2p.m. & 5.30～9p.m.， Sun & holidays 10.30a.m.～2.30p.m.； free)， which is home to the city，s collection of contemporary art； it also hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions， and stages concerts， plays and dance as part of the Veranos de la Villa season. Just to the east of this， the Plaza de las Comendadoras - named after the convent that occupies one side of the square - is a tranquil space bordered by a variety of interesting craft shops， bars and cafés.
A block to the west is the Museo Cerralbo ， c/Ventura Rodríguez 17， an elegant mansion mansion n.大厦， 官邸， 公寓(用复数，用于专有名词中) endowed with its collections by the Marqués de Cerralbo. The rooms， stuffed with paintings， furniture， armour and artefacts， provide insights insight n.洞察力， 见识 into the lifestyle of the nineteenthcentury aristocracy， though there is little of individual note.
Royal Palace
西班牙王宫
西班牙王宫坐落在马德里西部，位于东方广场的东侧，始建于1738年，工程历时26年。它又称“东方之宫”，其雄伟远在英国白金汉宫之上，可以和法国的凡尔赛宫相媲美，系现存的世界上最完整、最精美绝伦的宫殿之一。王宫按照18世纪最流行的建筑格式建成，它的外形呈正方形，每边长约150米，具有典型的法国风格。内部装潢是地道的意大利的情调，豪华绝伦。宫殿四角突出，内侧为正方形长廊庭院，是典型的西班牙传统建筑风格。因此，人们说，这座王宫是法国、意大利、西班牙三国建筑风格的融合。
王宫内部富丽堂皇，光彩照人。宫中有数百个大小厅室，其中，有镶金缕银的帝王餐厅，也有珠光宝气的御座厅，其拱形屋顶上，镶着意大利名画家提埃坡罗的大幅壁画，还有典雅脱俗的瓷器厅，瓷厅四周墙壁和屋顶全部用当地皇家雷蒂罗瓷器厂生产的艺术瓷砖砌成，绚丽夺目。1975年，胡安·卡洛斯一世国王登基后，东方之宫不再成为王室居住和国王办公的地方，只是在这里举行盛大的庆典活动，并在此接受外国使节递呈国书。
宫中设有王家图书馆，它在王宫的底层。图书馆藏书达30万册，有15世纪的经典文学作品、乐谱、版画、绘画、地图及无法估价的各类手抄本，其中包括被史学家视为珍宝的有关美洲历史的手抄本。御医房收藏有3000余册古医书，当中记载着大量的王家偏方，极为珍贵。
The Palacio Real or Royal Palace is the largest and certainly one of the most impressive palaces in Europe. It has more than 2000 luxuriously luxuriously adv.奢侈地， 豪华地 decorated rooms， 50 of which can be visited. It is located on the east of Madrid，s historic center， within walking distance of the Plaza de Espana.
It was commissioned by Philip II and designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera， who also designed El Escorial. It was completed during the reign of Ferdinand VI； Charles III had two wings added to it. A smaller palace， the Casa del Labrador， also stands on the grounds.
Its huge gardens， built to relieve its royal residents from the dust and drought of the Spanish meseta using the waters of the adjacent adjacent adj.邻近的， 接近的 Tagus and Jarama rivers， are Spain，s most important of the Habsburg period.
The museum，s important art and historical collections include the Museo de la Vida en Palacio， describing the daily lives of Spain，s monarchs monarch n.君主， and the Museo de las Falúas Reales， housing the most important extant collection of Spain，s royal pleasure barges.
Soon after the Royal Fortress burned down on Christmas Eve of 1734， King Philips V wanted to replace the fortress by a palace， this time built from limestone limestone n.石灰石 and granite to make it fireproof. It was to be modeled loosely on the Versailles Palace near Paris， where Philips V had spent part of his youth.
Construction of the new palace started in 1938 based on a design by the Italian architect Juan Bautista Sachetti. 26 Years and three kings later， the huge palace， covering an area of 135，000m2， was completed. It would take another 100 years before all the rooms were decorated.
Visitors enter the Palace via the large Plaza de la Armería. Some of the sumptuous sumptuous adj.奢侈的， 华丽的 rooms accessible accessible adj.易接近的， 可到达的， 易受影响的， 可理解的 to visitors are the 400m2 large dining room， the Sala de Porcelana (china room) and the Salón del Trono (throne room) with red velvet walls. The palace also includes the Arméria Real， the royal army museum. It contains a beautiful collection of armory， including King Charles V，s armour armour n.盔甲， 装甲钢板， 装甲部队 suit.
King Carlos III， son of King Philips V moved into the new palace in 1764. The Palacio Real would be the main residence of the Spanish kings until 1931， when king Alfonso XIII went into exile after republicans republican adj.共和国的， 共和政体的， 共和主义的， 有关共和的 n.共和党人 had won the elections and demanded him to step down.
Today the royal family lives in the small Zarzuela Palace， a former hunting lodge outside Madrid. The Royal Palace is still used for official ceremonies ceremony n.典礼， 仪式， 礼节， 报幕员..
The Palace is bordered on the east by the Campo del Moro， a large park that goes uphill from the Rio Manzanares to the Royal Palace. From the green lawn in front of the park， you have a nice unobstructed view unobstructed view 自由视野 of the palace.
In front of the Palace is the Plaza Oriente， a beautiful square with an equestrian statue of Philips IV. The Royal Palace originally bore the same name as the square， Palacio Oriente， or East Palace.