Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Spain Madrid Peironcely 10

Peironcely 10

An iconic photograph from the Spanish Civil War saved this shrapnel-scarred historic house from destruction.

Madrid, Spain

Added By
Luis Morato
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
View of the house.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
A view of the façade.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
A photograph of the Capa photo in the book “Heart of Spain.”   PETIT Philippe / Getty Images
A common corridor in the house.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
The building is next a square named after Robert Capa.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Peironcely 10   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Corner view   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
The old well of the community.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The rundown building at Calle Peironcely 10 in Madrid's working class Vallecas neighborhood became a symbol of the Spanish Civil War, thanks to an iconic image of the shrapnel-pocked house taken by famous war photographer Robert Capa.

The house was badly damaged by German bombs in 1936, when Adolf Hitler was helping General Francisco Franco overthrow Spain's republican government and using Madrid as a guinea pig for the blitzkrieg attacks. Capa captured an image of three children sitting in the rubble outside the house while a woman looked on from the side. The poignant photo was published around the world, encouraging many people to join the fight against Franco.

Entitled "Children in Madrid," the image showed a kind of universal scenario of the horror of war and the vulnerability of childhood. It became one of Capa's most famous photographs, and a symbol of the Spanish Civil War, especially after it was censored in Spain under Franco's dictatorship. 

After the war, the building at Peironcely 10 remained semi-ruined and abandoned for almost a decade, and then was divided into 15 flats that housed families in poor, overcrowded conditions. The shrapnel holes on the facade were plastered over. Eventually, the rundown building was slated for demolition, but a group of citizens fought to save it and have it protected as a reminder of Spain's heritage. The campaign was successful, and the historic building at Peironcely 10 is now being turned into a cultural space, while its residents are moved to better living conditions.

Related Tags

War History Photography Preservation Bombs Dictators Civil War Military

Know Before You Go

To see the building, take the commuter train to Entrevias station.

Community Contributors

Added By

Luis Morato

Edited By

Meg, Xavixavir

  • Meg
  • Xavixavir

Published

November 1, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_de_mayo
  • https://elpais.com/ccaa/2018/07/25/madrid/1532514534_197369.html
  • http://bdh.bne.es
Peironcely 10
Calle Peironcely, 10
Madrid
Spain
40.382083, -3.670289
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Rocker Grandma

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Planeta Arganzuela Mural

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Puerta de los Cuarteles de Daoiz y Velarde

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Madrid

Madrid

Spain

Places 123
Stories 2

Nearby Places

The Rocker Grandma

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Planeta Arganzuela Mural

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Puerta de los Cuarteles de Daoiz y Velarde

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Madrid

Madrid

Spain

Places 123
Stories 2

Related Places

  • Explore the wide collection of moving military photographs printed in The Stars and Stripes.

    Bloomfield, Missouri

    The Stars and Stripes National Museum and Library

    The first military newspaper in U.S. history was printed in Bloomfield, Missouri.

  • Muang Ngoi Neua

    Muang Ngoy, Laos

    Muang Ngoi Neua

    A quaint village where bomb casings from the Second Indochina War have been repurposed into mundane objects.

  • Old Abe

    Madison, Wisconsin

    Old Abe

    A renowned Civil War veteran, this Bald eagle now presides over the Wisconsin State Assembly.

  • Main corridor

    Alcoy, Spain

    Shelter of Cervantes

    This air raid shelter from the Spanish Civil War is now a museum dedicated to the history of the city's bombardment.

  • View South from Oliver’s Castle

    Wiltshire, England

    Oliver's Fort and the Bloody Ditch

    This ancient fort overlooks the site of a disastrous retreat from the English Civil War.

  • The cannon.

    Brooklyn, New York

    John Paul Jones Park's Rodman Gun

    The rare American Civil War-era weapon was never fired in anger.

  • Musket damage.

    Malmesbury, England

    Malmesbury Abbey Musket Damage

    Scars from the English Civil War mar this medieval sanctuary.

  • Bunkers at Alto del León, Guadarrama.

    Guadarrama, Spain

    Civil War Bunkers of Alto del León

    These Bullet-scarred bunkers are haunting reminders of the Spanish Civil War.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.