Ópera is a station on

Line 2 Line 2 or 2 Line may refer to: Public transport Americas *2 (New York City Subway service), a rapid transit service in the A Division of the New York City Subway *2 Line (Sound Transit), a light rail line in Seattle, Washington *Line 2 Bloor–Dan ...

, Line 5 and Ramal of the

Metro de Madrid The Madrid Metro (Spanish: ''Metro de Madrid'') is a rapid transit system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the 14th longest rapid transit system in the world, with a total length of 293 km (182 mi). Its gro ...

. It is located in fare Zone A, in the

Plaza de Isabel II The Plaza de Isabel II (also known as Plaza de Ópera) is a historic public square between the Sol and Palacio wards in the central district of Madrid. The plaza is at the convergence of (from the Puerta del Sol) and the minor roads Arrieta, ...

, in the central district of Madrid. The station provides access to an area with tourist landmarks such as the

Teatro Real The Teatro Real (Royal Theatre) is an opera house in Madrid, Spain. Located at the Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace of Madrid, Royal Palace, and known colloquially as ''El Real'', it is considered the top institution of the performing a ...

opera house, the Plaza de Oriente and the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Massa ...

. Its name comes from nearby Madrid opera house, the

History

The station was opened to the public on 21 October, 1925 on line 2. and Ramal later that year. Its original name was

Isabel II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successio ...

, named for the square in which it stood. The platforms of lines 2 and Ramal are located at the same level, the former is 60 m long and the latter being shorter in the beginning, but later it was extended in length to 60 m, too. After the proclamation of the Second Republic on 14 April 1931, the new authorities approved by Decree of 20 April the removal of all the denominations that made references to the monarchy. Therefore, on 24 June Isabel II station was renamed Ópera. That year, the square was renamed "

Fermín Galán Fermín Galán Rodríguez (4 October 1899 – 14 December 1930) was a Spanish soldier known for leading the failed Jaca uprising a few months before the foundation of the Second Spanish Republic. He was of peasant origins, although his father was ...

", after one of the leaders of the failed uprising in 1930 that tried to overthrow King Alfonso XIII. On 5 June 1937 the station changed its name to coincide with the square. However, after the establishment of the dictatorship of Francisco Franco there was a further change in the names of city streets, stations, etc. Therefore, in 1939 the square was again renamed "Isabel II", and the metro station recovered the name "Ópera". On 5 June 1968 platforms on the line 5, located at greater depth and 90 m long, were opened to the public. The station was partly renovated between 2003 and 2004. On 23 March 2011 the station reopened after works to improve accessibility. It has a new lobby of 821 m² (enlarged from 114 m²), and three lifts, one from lobby to the street and two from the lobby to the different platforms. Several escalators were also installed. The entrance to the station was moved from one side of the square to a new position, with two staircases and an elevator built.

Museo Arqueológico Caños del Peral

Ópera station has a museum with a floor space of 234 m² where 16th- and 17th-century remains may be observed, such as the Caños del Peral Fountain, which delivered water to the Royal Palace via the Amaniel Aqueduct, as well as other water supply works discovered during the remodelling works, such as the Arenal Sewer. Users may see the remains on display at the station and visit a room equipped with an audiovisuals to learn the history of the archaeological remains found.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Opera (Madrid Metro) Madrid Metro stations located underground Line 2 (Madrid Metro) stations Line 5 (Madrid Metro) stations Line R (Madrid Metro) stations 1925 establishments in Spain Railway stations opened in 1925