SPAIN – Cover from Getafe (Madrid), Spain to Braga, Portugal

Cover with two stamps of 0.34€ from the 2010 series of stamps dedicated to Urbanism posted on October, 25 2010.

(Thanks to my friend Emilio Esteban)

'URBANISMO' - Carlos María de Castro and ensanche of Madrid

Spain devotes an issue to Town Planning with a stamp honouring Carlos María de Castro, engineer, architect and town planner of the ensanche (widening) urban development of Madrid.

The stamp depicts a portrait of Carlos María de Castro belonging to the Ministry of Fomento (Public Works) and in the background features a map of the ensanche of Madrid , kept in the Archive of La villa de Madrid.

Carlos Maria de Castro participated in many public works as architect and engineer of the Ministry of Fomento.

The ensanche of Madrid was motivated by the increase in population and the social and sanitary problems that arouse due to shortage of land for house building purposes since the city had gone from 220.000 inhabitants in the early XIX century to 300.000 by the end of 1860. This resulted in Government pondering the advantages of extending the city and the Minister of Fomento, Claudio Mollano, commissioning Castro to undertake the project of widening Madrid from 800 hectares to 2.294, multiplying its surface area by three. The widening operation consisted in an orthogonal grid running from north to south which did not interfere with the city’s natural expansion towards the east and focused on: moving the urban centre from the Puerta del Sol to the Plaza de Cibeles; building rectangular mid-block open spaces and whole block parks as well as public and social buildings; setting three different widths for streets; building squares and gardens to let the air flow and improve health conditions and surrounding the ensanche by segregation moats where later on were built avenues such as Reina Victoria, Raimundo Fernandez Villaverde, Joaquin Costa, Francisco Silvela and Dr. Esquerdo. In this project were also built the residential boroughs of Castellana, Salamanca and Chamberí. The area of Delicias was destined to an industrial use, Vallehermoso for military purposes and the southern area for farming and agricultural. The process of the ensanche was slow and continued until 1930.

Date of Issue: 20-04-2010
Type: Commemorative stamps
Denomination: 0.34 €
No. of Stamp in Set: 1
Size: 40,9 x 28,8 mm

Perforation: 13 ¾ x 13 ¼
Color: Multicolor
Process of Printing: offset
Protection of the stamp: Coated white, fluorescent stamps
Printer: Correos de España
Designer:

'URBANISMO' - Ildefonso Cerdá and ensanche of Barcelona Madrid

Correos, within the Town Planning series devotes a stamp to Catalonian civil engineer, Ildefonso Cerdá, author of the extension of Barcelona (Ensanche). The stamp depicts a portrait of Cerdá from the collection of the Ateneu Barcelonés and in the background features his extension project. The original manuscript and map of the surroundings of Barcelona and its Reform and Widening Project of 1859, are part of the funds of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando (Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando) in Madrid.

The aim of the Ensanche of Barcelona was to remedy the housing shortage and the poor living and health conditions in the old historic centre of Barcelona. After a railway trip in southern France in 1844 he understood that mobility and communications were key elements to transform cities, hence the idea of expanding the city of Barcelona. In 1855, during the government of the Progressive Biennium and with the demolition of the walls of Barcelona, he was commissioned to develop the (Plano Topográphico de los alrededores de Barcelona) Topographical map of the surrounding areas of Barcelona. On occasion of this consignment he also presented a first draft of the Eixample, although he had to wait till 1859 to put forward the final draft which was approved in 1860. Cerdá designed the Ensanche of Barcelona as a new city following a grid pattern over the sloping plain leading to the sea, between the rivers Llobregat and Besós.

He conceived an open, egalitarian and modern city where circulation of all types and square blocks with chamfered corners and extensive green spaces were a priority.

The Ensanche or L'Eixample is located in the second district of Barcelona and occupies the central part of the city, over a wide area of 7.46 square km. In this district are the well known Paseo de Gracia y Sant Joan, streets and avenues such as Aragón, Balmes, Diagonal, Rambla de Catalunya and Gran Vía de les Corts Catalanes and squares such as Cataluña, Sagrada Familia, Gaudí, Francesc Macià and les Glories Catalanes. The famous buildings Casas Milà, Batlló and Punxes as well as the temple of the Sagrada Familia are also in this district.

Date of Issue: 14-10-2010
Type: Commemorative stamps
Denomination: 0.34 €
No. of Stamp in Set: 1
Size: 40,9 x 28,8 mm

Perforation: 13 ¾ x 13 ¼
Color: Multicolor
Process of Printing: offset
Protection of the stamp: Coated white, fluorescent stamps
Printer: Correos de España
Designer: