On Sunday mornings, in the elegant area to the west of the Paseo del Prado, the neo-classical building of the Chamber of Deputies attracts those who are passionately interested in modern history. On show are the benches occupied by the stars of Spanish politics, as well as the bullet holes left after Colonel Tejero's dramatic attempt at a coup d'état in February 1981, which, paradoxically, resulted in the consolidation of the fledgling Spanish democracy under the leadership of King Juan Carlos.