Approximately three out of every four people admitted to having at least one paranormal belief in a survey conducted in the U.S., and it’s likely that numbers are similar across the world. Many people are drawn to the paranormal, and tourists often want to explore the more supernatural sides of a city they’re visiting as well as the historical and cultural icons.
< drid is cited as one of the most family-friendly cities in Spain, but it has much to offer those seeking a more supernatural vacation experience too. So where can you go in Madrid to witness the paranormal?
Pal>Palacio De Linares
known as Casa de America, this nineteenth century palace was restored in 1990 after years of abandonment. It took 18 years to build the palace, but it was lived in for only 11, and carries the legend of a murdered love child.During restoration, workers on the site reported seeing doors opening and closing, and hearing screams and someone whispering, “I had a daughter.” The screams are thought to have been coming from a large doll’s house at the side of the palace, which belonged to the adopted daughter of Marquis de Linares.
People with extra sensory perception, able to sense psychic energies unseen by others, added to the reports, attracting the attention of parapsychologists with claims that they had been pushed by inexplicable winds in the building. The paranormal reports led to investigations into the psychic energy and the legends surrounding the palace.
Stories tell that the Marquises were step brother and sister, and adopted a daughter because they were unable to have their own child for fear of scandal. They did, however, have their own daughter a few months after the adoption, but it is said that she was murdered and hidden within the walls of the palace.
The couple died of broken hearts in 1901, with many people believing their deaths to have been a suicide. Today, visitors to the palace still claim to have paranormal experiences, and it said that the spirit of a little girl regularly runs through the ballroom.
Reina Sofia>Reina Sofia Museum
museum was converted from a hospital in the eighteenth century, and is the burial site of thousands of people who died in the building’s days as a hospital. A local newspaper article in 1995 reported testimonials of people hearing alarms sounding and screams coming from empty rooms in the museum.No Regrets Booking Advice
Paranormal noises were heard, and elevators moved up and down the building with no one inside them. Today, there are stories of museum staff who ask for transfers to other museums or take medical leave after seeing the ghosts of nuns walk the hallways at night. The building has many unsolved mysteries in its history as a hospital, and these are thought to lead to modern reports of hauntings.
The House Of >The House Of The Seven Chimneys
h century building is on Plaza del Rey, and is instantly recognizable by its seven chimneys. Legend has it that it was a hideaway for King Felipe II to carry out his love affairs, one of whom was the beautiful Elena.Elena is reported to wander around the roof of the building telling the story of how the king murdered her and hid her body. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, restoration work on the house recovered bones dating back to the sixteenth century. There is no way to know for sure, but it is possible they belonged to Elena.
Madrid is an ancient city filled with history, and it has no shortage of ghost stories and paranormal reports. If you like your city break to include a touch of the paranormal, Spain’s capital is sure not to disappoint.
