Hipódromo_de_la_Castellana
Hipódromo de la Castellana
Spanish horse racetrack in Madrid
The Hipódromo de la Castellana, also known as the Hipódromo de Madrid, was a sports facility dedicated to horse racing. Located on the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, Spain, it was designed by engineer Francisco Boguerín as one of the first official horse racing tracks in the city. The Hipódromo was inaguruated to celebrate the wedding of King Alfonso XII in 1878. In successive years, the venue also hosted football matches,[1] mainly some Copa del Rey finals.[2]
With the widening of Paseo de la Castellana in the 1930s, the Hipódromo was closed and then demolished. The site, now occupied by the office buildings of Nuevos Ministerios, was on the outskirts of Madrid at that time. During its years of operation it was the meeting place of the gentry and aristocracy of the time.
The main horse racing venue for Madrid, since the mid-twentieth century, has been the Hippodrome de la Zarzuela. [2]