Paseo Imperial

Documents from 1780 already mention the Paseos Imperiales, and from there comes both the name of this street and that of the whole neighborhood. They were poplar-lined avenues that, from the gates of the wall, descended toward the river and the Manzanares canal when all this was outlying land beyond the walls, open country with picnic spots. The Paseo Imperial was part of one of those baroque “tridents” of tree-lined avenues from the 18th century. A second explanation circulates: that “imperial” came from its link to the Toledo road, the Imperial City. Little of the peaceful woodland remained. The 19th century crossed it with railway tracks and factories, and beside the promenade a freight station operated until 1987, the Estación Imperial, popularly known as the “flea station.” Today it runs from the Ronda de Segovia to the Puente de Toledo, still downhill toward the water.