{"id":9646,"date":"2023-09-14T12:00:33","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T10:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/triptoursmadrid.com\/the-legend-of-the-calle-de-la-amargura-street-of-bitterness\/"},"modified":"2024-10-15T17:23:29","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T15:23:29","slug":"the-legend-of-the-calle-de-la-amargura-street-of-bitterness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/triptoursmadrid.com\/en\/the-legend-of-the-calle-de-la-amargura-street-of-bitterness\/","title":{"rendered":"The legend of the Calle de la Amargura (Street of Bitterness)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The legend of the Calle de la Amargura (Street of Bitterness)<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Fascinating Legend of the Calle de la Amargura in Madrid<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\"Has anyone ever said to you, \"You've got me by the short and curlies\"?\"\n\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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“You’ve got me by the short and curlies!” It’s a phrase your parents have probably told you dozens of times. Today that phrase is used to scold a child, perhaps when he fails or insists on being a rebel without a cause during adolescence. Desperate parents don’t know what to say besides that phrase. But… do you know where it comes from? Like many other phrases, it comes from a legend that we can trace.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What is the Calle de la Amargura?<\/h2>\n

The Calle de la Amargura is not just an expression, it is a very real place with roots in the history of Madrid. Although there are now streets with this name in different locations in Spain and America, the “original” seems to be located in the Spanish capital, near the Plaza Mayor.<\/p>\n

Origins of the Street and its Name<\/h2>\n

There are several theories that try to explain why this street is said to have such a peculiar name. To understand it better, let’s review some of them:<\/p>\n

Bitter Grass<\/h3>\n

Before the Plaza Mayor became what it is today, this place was known as the Laguna de Luj\u00e1n. According to one theory, a bitter-tasting herb grew on one of the paths leading to the lagoon.<\/p>\n

Farewell to Soldiers<\/h3>\n

During the reign of Alfonso XI in 1342, the street was the place where soldiers said goodbye to their loved ones before leaving to fight in Algeciras. According to the story, the Archbishop of Toledo, seeing the sadness in the farewells, said: “This is the place of bitterness”.<\/p>\n

The Inquisition<\/h3>\n

However, the most widespread theory relates to the time of the Inquisition. When a person was condemned to death (either by hanging, by garrotting or by burning if accused of being a witch), the executions were public, that is to say that people attended to see the episode. These punishments were carried out in Madrid’s Plaza Mayor. Legend has it that the relatives of the condemned entered the Plaza Mayor through a particular street (today’s Siete de Julio). There, then, they mourned the future loss of the people they had loved until that day. This led to the road being called “Calle de la amargura” (street of bitterness).<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Words of Rodrigo Calder\u00f3n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\tIt is said that Rodrigo Calder\u00f3n, a politician and military man in the service of Philip III, uttered words that immortalized the expression, \"Like Christ, you walk me in front of the houses of his judges in this street of the Amargura.\"\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why is the expression used today?<\/h2>\n

This phrase has transcended its historical origin to become an expression commonly used to describe a “prolonged distressing situation”. Parents often use it to scold their children, or it is also used in the context of difficult romantic relationships.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What can you learn on a Free Tour in Madrid?<\/h2>\n

The Legends<\/a>, Mysteries and Enigmas<\/a> Tours in Madrid are fascinating because they help you to discover this kind of stories. Whether you’re inclined to the bitter herb theory, the soldiers’ farewell or the grim relationship with the Inquisition, a tour of the Plaza Mayor and its surroundings will allow you to experience a part of Madrid’s history that isn’t taught in textbooks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Explore with us!<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Don’t forget that you also have the opportunity to immerse yourself in our cultural experiences through our free tours available here.<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/sr7-adjuster>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMedieval Madrid<\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMonumental Madrid<\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMadrid Essentials<\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrado Museum<\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFree Tour<\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFree Tour<\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFree Tour<\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFree Tour<\/sr7-txt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/sr7-slide>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/sr7-slide>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/sr7-content>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Free\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Free\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Free\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Free\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Palacio\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/image_lists>\n\t\t\t\t<\/sr7-module>\n\t\t\t\t