Madrid pays tribute to the great writer from the Canary Islands, a key author to discover the life and characters of 19th century Madrid.
Although he was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1843, few writers have been so closely linked to Madrid as Benito Pérez Galdós, to the point that fellow writer Valle-Inclán described his novels as having "a strong smell of smelt of cocido”, a chickpea stew typical of the region.
The author of National Episodes - a collection of 46 novels which relate the history of 19th century Spain- came to the capital at the age of 19 to study at the Central University, but his real schooling occurred in the cafés in Puerta del Sol, at the Teatro Real opera house (which he was often spotted in), and on the trams where all of the social classes mixed together. Novels like Fortunata and Jacinta (Fortunata y Jacinta) and Compassion (Misericordia) are cross-sectional portraits of the city.
Discover the footprints left by the writer and his characters in the city where he lived for most of his life and the activities that Madrid hosted in 2020 to commemorate him on the centenary of his death.
A review of the places that marked the life of the writer from the Canary Islands in Madrid and the places where the spirit of his life and works can be felt.
The young writer lived in a boarding house at Calle Fuentes, 3 between 1862 and 1863 during his first months in Madrid.