Plaza del Conde del Valle de Súchil, Madrid

Plaza del Conde del Valle de Súchil is a long, narrow square in Madrid's Chamberí district, tucked into the Arapiles neighborhood between Calle de Alberto Aguilera and Calle de Arapiles. It rarely makes it onto a first-time visitor's itinerary, yet it's a rewarding stop for anyone curious about the quieter, residential layers of Madrid beyond the historic center.

Where is the square and how do you get there

The square sits in the northern part of Chamberí, in the residential pocket known as Arapiles — a calm area away from the main tourist corridors but still easy to reach. The closest metro stop is Quevedo, roughly a four-minute walk away. That makes it a practical detour for travelers who want to see an everyday, twentieth-century side of Madrid without fighting crowds.

Why the square has such an elongated shape

The most distinctive thing about Plaza del Conde del Valle de Súchil is its shape: long and narrow, closer to a widened street than a conventional square. That comes straight from the site's history. The land was previously occupied by the General Cemetery of the North, opened in 1804 and closed and dismantled in 1884. After the cemetery disappeared, the plot sat through decades of change before the square as it stands today was laid out in 1954–1955, once the buildings that had since occupied the site were cleared away. That sequence — cemetery, interim development, modern square — explains an urban layout that stands out from the rest of Arapiles.

Where the name comes from

The square is named after José María de Garay y Rowart, third Count of Valle de Súchil, a Spanish lawyer and politician who served as mayor of Madrid. Honoring him with a public square fits a broader Madrid habit of naming streets and plazas after figures tied to the city's administration, even when — as here — the person is mostly known only to local historians.

What stands out about the buildings around it

The apartment blocks framing the square rise noticeably higher than the typical buildings elsewhere in Arapiles. That height contrast gives the square a distinct visual identity, even though it has no landmark monument or headline attraction. It's a small but clear example of how much architectural variety Madrid holds even within a single, modest neighborhood well outside the tourist center.

Who should visit

This isn't a sightseeing highlight in the conventional sense — there's no museum or postcard facade waiting here. It's better suited to travelers interested in Madrid's urban history, or anyone walking through Chamberí who wants a look at the city's lived-in, residential character rather than its monuments. Pair it with a walk through the surrounding Arapiles streets, where traces of the neighborhood's nineteenth-century past are still legible in the street pattern.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Plaza del Conde del Valle de Súchil located? In Madrid's Chamberí district, within the Arapiles neighborhood, between Calle de Alberto Aguilera and Calle de Arapiles.

How do you get there by public transport? The nearest metro station is Quevedo, about a four-minute walk from the square.

Why is the square shaped like a long strip rather than a typical plaza? Because it occupies the former site of the General Cemetery of the North, dismantled in 1884; the current square dates from 1954–1955.

Who is the square named after? José María de Garay y Rowart, third Count of Valle de Súchil, a Spanish lawyer and politician who was mayor of Madrid.

Is it worth visiting as a tourist? It suits travelers looking for an authentic, residential slice of Madrid rather than a major attraction — a good addition to a walk through Chamberí.