Monument of José de San Martín.

Western Park, Madrid.

Monument of Federico Rubio.

Celtis australis

It was inaugurated on October 10, 1856 (date birthday of the then Queen Elizabeth II) through the initiative of the then Spanish Lírico Society, with the aim of having a space for interpretations zarzuelas in the capital of Spain. Their drivers were set as masters of the time Francisco Asenjo Barbieri, Rafael Calleja Gómez, Joaquín Gaztambide Rafael Hernando, José Inzenga, Francisco Salas, Luis Cristobal Oudrid Olona or under funding of the banker Francisco Rivas. The works were commissioned from the architect Jerónimo Gándara, although executed by José María Guallart, modeled the Scala in Milan. This was a horseshoe-shaped building with three floors of galleries.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, theater became the central place where they interpreted the masterpieces of the zarzuela and produce their premieres. On November 6, 1909 the building was virtually destroyed by a horrific fire. Reconstructed in 1957 using less wood and metal, was remodeled in 1956 when he bought the General Society of Authors of Spain, but lost much of the facade and interior decorations. Later became state property and in 1984 the Ministry of Culture, in the absence of an opera house in Madrid, extended the range of activities (besides the zarzuela and opera) to dance and flamenco. In 1998, after four years before the declaration of the building as a National Monument, was again rebuilt much of its original structure and form, intended to be exclusive to the Spanish lyric.