Calle del Marqués de Valdeiglesias
The street took its present name in 1902 to honor Ignacio José Escobar y López-Hermoso (Madrid, 1823-1887), first marquis of Valdeiglesias. The noble title was granted to him on 28 June 1879 by Alfonso XII in recognition of his services during the Bourbon Restoration. Before 1902 the street was called de las Torres, a name dating from the 17th century that alludes to the two towers with coats of arms and trophies of arms that adorned the facade of the house of the diplomat Juan García de Figueroa, ambassador to Persia around 1618.
Calle de las Torres it was called for more than two centuries. The name came from the house of the ambassador Juan García de Figueroa—almost certainly García de Silva y Figueroa, sent by Philip III to the shah of Persia in 1614—whose facade displayed two towers topped with coats of arms and trophies of arms. That stone image was enough to fix the name on this stretch linking the Gran Vía with the Calle de las Infantas.
In 1902 the street changed its name, true to the Restoration habit of sharing out the street map among its politicians. The chosen one was Ignacio José Escobar, one of the most influential journalists of conservatism: he directed and came to own La Época, turned under his lead into an unofficial organ of Cánovas del Castillo. He received the title of marquis in 1879.
Its names
- Calle de las Torres17th century – ca. 1902
- Calle del Marqués de Valdeiglesias1902 – actualidad
Sources (8)
- Madripedia — Calle del Marqués de Valdeiglesias
- Fotopaseo por Madrid — Calle del Marqués de Valdeiglesias
- Biografías y Vidas — Ignacio José Escobar
- Wikipedia ES — Ignacio José Escobar
- Wikipedia ES — Marquesado de Valdeiglesias
- Periodicadas — La Época, una calle con historia
- El Debate — La dinastía al frente del diario conservador
- Wikidata — Calle del Marqués de Valdeiglesias (Q54020473)