Calle de la Cabeza

You are on Calle de la Cabeza (‘Head Street’), in the Lavapiés district, between Calle de Jesús y María and Calle del Ave María. It is a short and seemingly ordinary street, but its name holds one of the most macabre tales of old Madrid.

1The legend

According to tradition, in the time of Philip III a wealthy priest lived here. His servant murdered him, cut off his head, stole his money and fled to Portugal. Years later, the servant returned to Madrid dressed as a gentleman and bought a sheep’s head at the Rastro. As he walked, a constable noticed that he was leaving a trail of blood and asked him to show what he was carrying. On opening the bundle, the man discovered in horror the head of his former master. He confessed on the spot and was hanged in the Plaza Mayor.

One variant adds that the king had a stone head placed on the house in memory of the crime, and that the frightened neighbours asked for it to be removed.

The street name is real; the miracle of the head, a popular tale.

2What we do know

The street’s name already appears on maps and documents from the 16th century. Chroniclers such as Mesonero Romanos and Pedro de Répide recorded the legend, but scholars themselves point out that dates and details do not match across the different versions. In the 19th century this street was home to the ecclesiastical prison of the Crown, where the priest Matías Vinuesa was lynched in 1821.

3What to look out for

• The street sign bearing its name.
• The narrow layout, typical of the old Lavapiés outskirts.
• The nearby Rastro, where the legend places the purchase.