Príncipe Pío (hill)

La montaña del Príncipe Pío is the name of a hill in the western part of Madrid, Spain.

It is named after the prince Pius of Savoy, who owned property there. Later, barracks (Cuartel de la Montaña) were constructed there. The Madrilene rebels who fought the Napoleonic invaders on 2 May 1808 were executed there on the morning of 3 May, as painted by Francisco de Goya.

Around the 1960s, the barracks were demolished to make room for the Parque del Oeste ("West Park"). The former location of the Barracks is now the site of the Temple of Debod, a Nubian temple given by the Egyptian government to Spain in gratitude for Spanish help in saving antiquities during the building of the Aswan Dam.

Station

Príncipe Pío is also the name of a commuter train station and travel interchange at the bottom of the hill near the San Vicente gate. Formerly known as Estación del Norte, it used to be an important interurban train terminal. The rail traffic is now primarily commuters on the RENFE cercanías network. It is also a metro station, serving lines 6, 10, and the Ramal (branch line) of the Madrid Metro. The Ramal is a point-to-point shuttle line which links Principe Pio with the station at Ópera. There is a bus station, which makes use of a tunnel network.

Príncipe Pío (Madrid Metro)

Príncipe Pío station is a Madrid Metro and Cercanías station in Madrid city center. It was opened on December 27, 1925 and is one of the busiest station on the Madrid Metro and Cercanías system.

It has three levels. The highest level is elevated is used by Cercanías trains and has an island platform. The middle level is partially underground used by Madrid Metro lines 6 and 10 trains and has a dual-island platform (not a Spanish solution). Line 6 trains use the two inner tracks while Line 10 trains use the two outer tracks. The lowest level is used by Line R trains. It has two side platforms while both of them are used by trains to Ópera station.

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