Don Pedro street is located between the Gabriel Miró square and the Moros gate, in the famous neighbourhood of La Latina.

Formerly, this street was known by the name of Alcantarilla, until 1770, when Don Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo, took possession of the land and built his palace.

The street is named after Don Pedro Álvarez de Toledo because he had a close relationship with the inhabitants and did not want to be called by his noble title.

Don Pedro Álvarez de Toledo was not the only famous Pedro who lived here. The famous poet Pedro Salinas, a member of the Generation of ’27, lived for a time at number 6. 

What to see in Don Dedro Street

In Don Pedro street you can find a wide variety of historic buildings as well as a great gastronomic offer such as a Mexican restaurant or other establishments.

Old buildings in Don Pedro Street

In the first section of this street, which runs from Gabriel Miró square to the Bailén Street, is the Group Escolar Vázquez de Mella building, built in the 1930s by the architect Bernardo Giner de los Ríos.

On the perimeter between Bailén Street and the Don Pedro street and Redondilla street, there is an old Municipal Hygiene Laboratory, which between 1898 and 1932 was coordinated by the Madrid pharmacist César Chicote y del Riego. This building was a reference vaccination site and served as a refuge during the Civil War. It is currently inhabited by the International Lab.

If we continue towards to the Moros gate we come across the Sagrado Corazón school, founded in 1877 by the Hijas de la Caridad de San Vicente de Paúl. The building is made of exposed brick and has a neo-Mudejar appearance. 

Palace of the Marquis of Villafranca

But without a doubt, the most important and famous building in this well-known street is the old palace of the Marquis of Villafranca, built in the 17th century and built using the old medieval wall as a master wall.

The palace has been remodelled several times due to its age and has witnessed numerous events in its marvellous halls. The palace has hosted the most renowned literary figures and artists of its time. 

Later this palace was occupied by one of the most luxurious restaurants in the area, the Moros gate restaurant. It was later occupied by the Spanish Olive Oil Agency and finally by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The outside of the palace is simple and elegant, with red walls and balconies framed by white voussoirs. The palace takes over multiple numbers of the street and has three doorways, one of them with a beautiful wooden door.

The last surprise

Before the end of the street we come across one last surprise, the palace of the Duke of Infantado, today inhabited by the CEU Business School.

The building is only a section of the overall wonderful palace of the Dukes of Infantado. Nowadays it can be seen renovated, but it has lost none of the haughtiness that identified it when it was inaugurated in the 17th century.

Don Pedro street continues to fascinate everyone who strolls along it thanks to the calm and leisurely pace of its marvellous buildings.

And you, did you already know any of these places? What are you waiting for to spend some time in this emblematic street and its surroundings?