Malasaña
Malasaña is a neighborhood district located in the center of Madrid, Spain. The district is square, bordered by Gran Vía to the south, Calle de Fuencarral to the east, to the north, and Calle de San Bernardo to the west.
Overview
Malasaña is situated west of Chueca and east of Argüelles, making it a central neighborhood in Madrid. It is connected to the rest of the city by several metro stations. Notable residents include Esperanza Aguirre, the former president of the Community of Madrid, as well as various politicians and artists.The neighborhood is named after Manuela Malasaña, a 15-year-old girl who lived on the , who was executed by French troops following the Dos de Mayo Uprising in 1808. A roundabout near the Glorieta de Bilbao also bears her name. The heart of the district is the Plaza del Dos de Mayo, a square that commemorates the uprising against the occupying forces and its violent suppression, an event that marked the start of the Spanish War of Independence.
Culture
Malasaña is mentioned in Me Gustas Tú by Manu Chao, and the surf instrumental Farawel Malasaña by Bambi Molesters from Croatia.With Chueca, Malasaña hosted the Art Festival Los artistas del barrio in October 2017, opening the doors of more than 70 venues to showcase the work of international and national artists like David Trullo, Pablo Sola, Daniel Garbade, Le frère, Pablo Kalafaker, Carmen Alvar, Rosa Guerrero, and more.
Malasaña has been used as a set by directors for multiple film productions, such as Marco Ferreri in El Cochecito, Franklin J. Schaffner in Patton, Fernando Colomo in Bajarse al moro, Pedro Almodóvar in Pepi, Luci, Bom and in Law of Desire, or Emilio Martínez Lázaro in The Worst Years of Our Lives. It was the center of the movida movement in late 1970s and 1980s Madrid.