ONE DAY IN MADRID

Business
C.S

April 6, 2025

“What truly sets Madrid apart is its openness.”

MADRID

It’s mid-morning in Madrid, and the sun is already filling the narrow streets with that signature golden warmth. The sort of light photographers obsess over. For Mattia Santucci, it was the perfect welcome.

“Since I landed from Milan, my hometown, my goal was to immerse myself in the city—to get in touch with the real essence of the people and experience the true Madrid,” he says.

Santucci is a photographer with a sharp eye for architecture, urban life, and—more recently—football culture.

On his recent trip to the Spanish capital, he gave himself one simple mission: explore Madrid with his camera and follow wherever the city might take him.

Naturally, the must-see sites made it onto his list. The Prado, the Palacio Real—places that need no introduction. But for Santucci, Madrid had long promised something else entirely.

“Ever since I knew I was coming to the city, my main goal was to fulfill one of my childhood dreams: to see the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and to breathe football in every calle,” he tells me. “And I made it happen.”

The camera stayed close. “As an architecture and urban life photographer, I was amazed by how many pictures I took—people, architecture, and football. Basically, all I want from life.”

Walking through Madrid, it’s hard not to notice how football is stitched into its every corner. “Try to find a single spot in the city where you can’t see something related to football—I challenge you,” Santucci says with a smile. He’s not wrong. The colours of Real and Atlético are woven into balconies, cafés, barbershops, and playgrounds. “It’s not just a sport here; it’s a way of life.”

And Madrid’s football obsession isn’t confined to matchdays. “From dawn till dusk, in every corner and every neighbourhood, football pulses through the veins of Madrid,” he says. “It doesn’t matter where you come from or who you support—football unites and divides with the same passion.”

But Madrid isn’t just about the game. Spend a day walking its streets, and you’ll pick up on its rhythm. “It’s a melting pot of cultures, traditions, and music,” Santucci says. “It’s like a flamenco dance—bursting with passion and energy that never stops.”

He’s lived in London. He loves Paris. But Madrid? “It feels raw and unapologetic—vibrant, chaotic, and alive.” There’s something about the way it holds onto its traditions without turning them into museum pieces. Something about how it lets you in.

“What truly sets Madrid apart is its openness,” he says. “The people are warm, loud, and full of stories—sharing that same fire for life and football, basically just like me.”

Of course, we have to talk about the Bernabéu.

“I was on the tube when I heard, ‘Próxima estación: Santiago Bernabéu,’” he recalls. “I glanced at my girlfriend—yes, she was very happy to be going there with me!—and said, ‘Okay, the time has come.’”

You can feel it as he tells the story. “As soon as I got out of the tube, the stadium was right there in front of me, and a big smile spread across my face—it stayed there the entire day.”

Inside, the experience is immersive. “The first thing you see is the trophies—all the history of the club and some truly iconic memorabilia, like the European Cup and Ballon d’Or. You can’t help but feel like you’re part of it, like you’re about to walk out of the tunnel and play the game yourself.”

Then came the pitch. “The smell hit me, and I couldn’t resist. I just started running.” Classic Mattia. “A few stairs up, and suddenly the field appears before you—the 80,000 seats seem to come crashing down on you.” He took a moment. “I sat down quietly for about 15 minutes and just soaked it all in before I started taking pictures.”

Asked to sum it up? “Biblical,” he laughs.

By the end of our chat, I’m left with an image of Mattia in Madrid: camera in hand, walking through Lavapiés or Malasaña, pausing at murals, tiled façades, flags fluttering from balconies. A snapshot of a city not just observed, but felt. “Whether you’re just passing through or staying a while, Madrid makes you feel like you belong.”

Looking back, it’s clear what stuck with him: the layers of the city—its architecture, its pace, its people—but above all, its openness. Somewhere between the Bernabéu and the barrio cafés, he found what he came for.

It was a day of simple pleasures, during which he walked, watched, and listened. He photographed architecture and street scenes, visited the Prado and Palacio Real, rode the metro, and fulfilled a childhood dream at the Bernabéu. He ate, explored, and soaked up the sun—and the football—all with that quiet, observant joy that defines a good traveller. And maybe, just maybe, Madrid became part of his story, too.