http://actualidad.terra.es/nacional/articulo/reyes_banco_espana_870125.htm
Kings inaugurate amplification and exhibition 150 years Bank of Spain
The Kings inaugurated today the amplification of the building headquarters of the Bank of Spain, work of the architect Rafael Moneo, author also of the amplification of the Prado Museum, and an exhibition on the history of the monetary institution on there having be celebrated in 2006 150 anniversary of its current denomination.
Founded in 1782 as Banco de San Carlos, in 1856 the Banco Español de San at the time Fernando happened to be call Bank of Spain, name that has come up to today.
The inaugurated amplification this morning for the Kings supposes the closing of the apple included between the Walk of the Prado and the streets of Alcala, The Madrazo and Marquess of Cuba, in one of the most emblematic zones and with more history of the center of Madrid.
The new building, on the corner of Alcala with Marquess of Cubas, supports the basic architectural beginning of the former building, which first stone was placed by the King Alfonso XII in 1884.
The front presents the same aspect that the principal ones of Alcala and the Walk of the Meadow, though with some architectural variations that, from the respect to the existing thing, ' they enrich the set ', according to the issuing bank.
The amplification, which has cost 23 million Euros, supposes a total surface constructed of five thousand square meters, distributed in eight floors, four of them down rasante.
The governor of the central bank, Jaime Caruana, gave the welcome to the Kings in the new building, and invited them to discover a commemorative plate of visit, similar to that, in other points of the building, they remember previous Royal visits.
Caruana remembered the ' narrow relation ' that throughout these 150 years of history the Bank of Spain has had with the monarchic institution, and emphasized that the amplification, and the closing of so emblematic apple of the center of Madrid, contributes to the improvement and embellishment.
Accompanied by the first vice-president of the Government, Maria Teresa Fernandez of the Vega; for the minister of the Housing, Maria Antonia Trujillo; the mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz Gallardón; for the current governor and for several of his predecessors in the cargo - between them Lopez of Latvian and Luis Angel Rojo--, as well as for counselors of the monetary institution, the Kings did a tour for the new dependences.
The own Rafael Moneo explained to them, before a model, the characteristics of the amplification, which includes a modern room in which next June 8 there will meet the Council of Government of the European Banco Central.