The district of Salamanca is one of the most significant areas of Madrid, both for its unique layout and the residents who have traditionally inhabited its emblematic streets. Its construction dates back to the second half of the 19th century and corresponds to the urban expansion carried out during the reign of Isabel II. The precursor to whom it owes its name was the Malaga-born José de Salamanca y Mayol, Marquis of Salamanca, who conceived a new location with carefully designed buildings to house the aristocratic and bourgeois classes of Madrid. Of 19th-century style, it is characterized by its special grid-like regular distribution with perpendicular streets. Its buildings are of particular interest due to their architectural quality and the beauty of their facades. Traditionally, Salamanca was a residential area, especially inhabited by the political and economic elites of the country. In the last fifty years, this residential character coexists with other activities such as business, diplomacy, and especially commerce, as it is one of the most important luxury fashion areas in the capital. The Parque del Buen Retiro is the true protagonist of this neighborhood of Madrid, flanked by the Calles de Alcalá and O'Donnell to the north, Calle Doctor Esquerdo to the east, Avenida del Mediterráneo and Paseo de Reina Cristina to the south, and Calle Alfonso XII to the west.