Calle del Tesoro

Malasaña·Universidad

A name of legendary origin, tied to the discovery of buried treasure — either during the foundation work of some 17th-century houses, or in the wine cellar of number 6. Yet the place name is already documented around 1590, which rules out the versions set in the reign of Philip IV.

Calle del Tesoro (Treasure Street) runs just over 260 meters between Calle de las Pozas and Calle del Espíritu Santo, in the old Maravillas quarter of the Centro district. The story everyone repeats speaks of buried gold: while digging the foundations of some houses, a well is said to have turned up with jars of coins from the reign of John I. But the tale collapses, because the street was already called del Tesoro around 1590. The name came first; the anecdote after. A second version places the find in the cellar of number 6, where a resident found pots bearing old coats of arms and declared he had “a treasure” — with a nod to his wife’s virtue. No one has ever settled which of the two he meant.

Its names

  • Calle de Buena Viña / Buena VistaAnterior a ca. 1590 (fechas exactas no documentadas)
  • Calle del Tesoro AltoCa. 17th century – 19th century (hasta la desaparición de la otra Calle del Tesoro junto al Alcázar)
  • Calle del TesoroCa. 1590 en adelante; denominación exclusiva from the 19th century
Sources (6)

Crossings