Calle Granito

Granito recalls no one: it names the hard, veined rock that underpins much of Madrid and the Castilian sierra. The street belongs to a stretch of southern Delicias, brushing up against Legazpi, on ground that was industrial and railway land for decades. When the street map was organized, the streets took the names of metals and materials, which is why this corner is known as the Metals neighborhood. Nearby run Bronce, Hierro, Plomo, Cobre and Antracita; each sign looks pulled from a table of elements. Granite holds the most earthbound place of all: the stone of sidewalks, curbs and baseboards, holding up the city without anyone noticing it.