Tienda Casa de la Panadería

Located in the Plaza Mayor Tourist Information Centre in the historic Casa de la Panadería building, this shop sells souvenirs of Madrid made by local artisans who are reviving the arts of old trades.

Designed by architect Izaskun Chinchilla, this new venue is a veritable showcase of Madrid’s life and culture. The layout of the display cases and the balconies teeming with flowers are reminiscent of traditional corralas (residential buildings with a large central courtyard and open corridor) that proliferated during the 17th century, and the corrales de comedias (open-air theatres) from the same period. But it also has the feel of a bustling market with wooden stalls covered with colourful fabrics. Look up and you’ll encounter a dome made of small, differently coloured pieces of methacrylate held in place by 600 little porcelain hands that symbolize the fact that the work of Madrid’s artisans and designers is ultimately the result of a close collaboration between them.

Madrid-in-Madrid items on sale here include leather bags hand made by Oficio Studio, jewellery by Andrés Gallardo, capes by Seseña, silk scarves painted by Natalia Lumbreras, jute bags by The Atypical Project, books, travel guides, pens, traditional violet sweets, flat caps (known locally as parpusas), baskets filled with everything you need to make delicious cup of thick hot chocolate, bird-shaped whistles sold for San Isidro, cologne and soaps by Álvarez Gómez, chocolate Meninas (Ladies-in-Waiting), cans and jars of traditional local fare, and the typical wafers known as barquillos.