Agustín de Foxá

Agustín de Foxá is a small memorial plaque in Madrid, located at Calle de Ibiza 1, in the Retiro district. It commemorates the writer and diplomat Agustín de Foxá, Count of Foxá and Marquis of Armendáriz, who lived in this building and died there in 1959.

Who was Agustín de Foxá?

Agustín de Foxá (1906–1959) was one of the more colorful, if now less widely remembered, Spanish writers of the 20th century. He wrote novels, poetry, film scripts and journalistic pieces. His best-known work, the novel "Madrid de Corte a Checa," chronicles the transformation of the Spanish capital during the turbulent years of the Civil War. Foxá was also a career diplomat and a figure within the Falange movement, closely associated with José Antonio Primo de Rivera, Rafael Sánchez Mazas and Eugenio Montes. He is credited with co-writing several verses of the politically charged Falangist anthem "Cara al Sol." In 1948 he received the prestigious Mariano de Cavia journalism prize, and in 1959 he was elected to the Royal Spanish Academy — though he died before he could formally take his seat.

What will you see there?

The plaque itself is understated: a marble slab set into the facade of the building at Calle de Ibiza 1, decorated with a bronze coat of arms of the Sociedad General de Autores de España (SGAE), Spain's collective rights-management society for authors. It was created by the sculptor Carlos Monteverde. The inscription reads:

"A LA MEMORIA DEL ESCRITOR / AGUSTÍN DE FOXÁ / QUE VIVIÓ Y MURIÓ / EN ESTA CASA / 1906-1959 / LA SOCIEDAD GENERAL / DE / AUTORES DE ESPAÑA / MCMLXIV"

In English: "To the memory of the writer Agustín de Foxá, who lived and died in this house, 1906–1959. Sociedad General de Autores de España, 1964." The plaque was unveiled on 10 March 1964, following a proposal put forward by SGAE on 8 November 1963 — a tribute to the writer five years after his death.

This is the kind of spot that's easy to walk past without noticing — there's no grand statue or figure here, just a discreet plaque on an apartment building's facade. For anyone interested in Spanish literature or the cultural history of Franco-era Spain, though, it's a tangible, physical link to the biography of one of that period's most notable literary figures.

How to get there?

The plaque sits at Calle de Ibiza 1, in a quiet corner of the Retiro district, just a few minutes' walk from the eastern edge of Retiro Park. The easiest way to reach it is by metro, getting off at Ibiza station (line 9) or Príncipe de Vergara station (lines 2 and 9) — both are only a few hundred meters away. The area is also well served by city buses running along Calle de O'Donnell and Calle de Narváez.

When to visit?

Since this is a plaque on a residential building, it can be viewed year-round, at any time of day — there are no tickets or opening hours involved. It pairs naturally with a visit to Retiro Park itself or to the nearby Salamanca district; walking through this part of the city in the morning or late afternoon also makes for quieter streets and easier photos without passers-by in the frame.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a large monument? No — it's a small marble memorial plaque set into a building's facade, not a freestanding statue or monument in the traditional sense.

Who commissioned the plaque? The Sociedad General de Autores de España (SGAE), Spain's collective copyright management society, in 1964.

Who was Agustín de Foxá? A Spanish writer, poet and diplomat (1906–1959), author of the novel "Madrid de Corte a Checa" and co-author of several verses of the anthem "Cara al Sol."

Is it worth a special trip? It's an interesting stop for literature and history enthusiasts while visiting Retiro Park, but it isn't an attraction worth crossing the city for on its own.