Although the site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times, in Roman age his territory belonged the diocese of Complutum (present Alcalá de Henares). But the first historical data on the city comes from the 9th century, when Mehmed I ordered the construction of a small palace in the same place that is today occupied by the Palacio Real. Around this palace a small citadel, al-Mudaina, was built.Near that palace was the Manzanares, which the Muslims called (Arabic: المجريط, "source of water"). From this came the naming of the site as Majerit, which was later rendered to the modern-day spelling of Madrid). The citadel was conquered in 1085 by Alfonso VI of Castile in his advance towards Toledo. He reconsecrated the mosque as the church of the Virgin of Almudena (almudin, the garrison'sgranary). In 1329, the Cortes Generales first assembled in the city to advise Ferdinand IV of Castile. Sephardic Jews and Moors continued to live in the city until they were expelled at the end of the 15th century.
Puerta de Alcalá, outside el Parque del Buen Retiro, was the gate used by merchants to enter the city to sell their goods at Sunday market.
The kingdoms of Castilla, with its capital at Toledo, and Aragón, with its capital at Saragossa, were welded into modern Spain by Charles I of Spain. Though Charles favored Madrid, it was his son, Philip II (1527-1598) who moved the court to Madrid in 1561. Although he made no official declaration, the seat of the court was the de facto capital. Seville continued to control the Spanish Indies, but Madrid controlled Seville. Aside from a brief period, 1601-1606, when Felipe III installed his court in Valladolid, Madrid's fortunes have closely mirrored those of Spain. During the Siglo de Oro (Golden Century), in the 16th/17th century, Madrid had no resemblance with other European capitals: the population of the city was economically dependent on the business of the court itself.
Felipe V decided that a European capital could not stay in such a state, and new palaces (including the Palacio Real de Madrid) were built during his reign. However, it would not be until Carlos III (1716-1788) that Madrid would become a modern city. Carlos III was one of the most popular kings in the history of Madrid, and the saying "the best mayor, the king" became popular during those times. When Carlos IV (1748-1819) became king the people of Madrid revolted. After the Mutiny of Aranjuez, which was led by his own son Fernando VII against him, Carlos IV resigned, but Fernando VII's reign would be short: in May of 1808Napoleon's troops entered the city. On May 2, 1808 (Spanish: Dos de Mayo) the Madrilenes revolted against the French forces, whose brute reaction would have a lasting impact on French rule in Spain and France's image in Europe in general.
After the war of independence (1814) Fernando VII came back to the throne, but after a liberal military revolution, Colonel Riego made the king swear respect to the Constitution. This would start a period where liberal and conservative government alternated, that would end with the enthronement of Isabel II (1830-1904).
The 20th Century in Madrid
Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. Cibeles fountain is hidden under a pile of sand to avoid damage from bombs.
Isabel II could not calm down the political tension that would lead to yet another revolt, the First Spanish Republic, and the comeback of the monarchs, which eventually led to the Second Spanish Republic and the Spanish Civil War. During this war (1936-1939) Madrid was one of the most affected cities and its streets were battlezones. Madrid was a stronghold of the Republicans from July 1936. Its western suburbs were the scene of an all out battle in November 1936, when the Nationalist forces tried to take the city. Thereafter, the city was besieged for almost three years, until it surrendered in March 1939. It was during the Civil War that Madrid became the first city to be bombed by airplanes specifically targeting civilians. (See Siege of Madrid (1936-39)).
During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, especially after the sixties, the south of Madrid became very industrialized and there were massive migrations from rural environments into the city. Madrid's south-eastern periphery became an extensive slum settlement, which was the base for an active cultural and political frame.
Palacio Real
After the death of Franco, emerging democratic parties (including those of left-wing and republican ideology) accepted Franco's wishes of being succeeded by Juan Carlos I - in order to secure stability and democracy - which led Spain to its current position as constitutional monarchy.
Befitting from the prosperity it gained in the 1980s, the capital city of Spain has consolidated its position as the leading economic, cultural, industrial, educational, and technological center on the Iberian peninsula.
21st Century
Atocha Station turned into an improvised Memorial shrine in the aftermath of the attacks.
On 11 March 2004, Madrid was hit by a terrorist attack when terrorists placed a series of bombs on multiple trains during the rush hour, three days before the 14 March 2004 elections. This was the worst massacre in Spain since the end of the civil war in 1939.
At first, the Basque separatists ETA were blamed by the then Partido Popular government, but it was later revealed that Islamic terrorists were to blame. The Partido Popular, now in opposition, as well as certain media outlets such as El Mundo newspaper and a small percentage of the population, continue to support theories relating the attack to a vast conspiracy to remove them from power. These theories consider that the Socialist Party (PSOE), ETA, as well as members of the security forces and national and foreign secret services were implicated in the bombings.
Nevertherless, all the investigations carried out by Del Olmo Judge in Madrid lead all suspicions towards a local terrorist Islamist cell (which mainly resided in the "barrio" of Lavapies) that wanted to punish the Spanish government for their implication in the Iraq war, as the terrorists themselves asserted in some video tapes found at the Madrid Muslim Mosque in the aftermath of the attacks. align="center"
The population of Madrid has experienced increase ever since the city became the national capital. This demographic boom was notorious in the 20th century due to domestic and international immigration. However, the city experienced a growth slump during the 1970s. This phenomenon, which also affected Barcelona, was caused mainly by the growth of satellite suburbs at the expense of the downtown.
A new immigration wave has allowed Madrid not only to recover its old numbers, but to reach new historical heights. According to census data, the population of the city grew by 271,856 between 2001 and 2005.
As the capital city of Spain, the city has attracted many immigrants from around the world. While less than 85% of the inhabitants are Spaniards of different backgrounds and ethnicities (almost 90% of the native Spaniards are caucasians), there are many recent immigrants who come from Latin America, Europe, Asia, North Africa and West Africa.
Although the official nickname for the natives of the city is Madrileño, they are commonly known as gatos (cats). The origin of the term possibly comes from the popular legend that the conquest of the city by Alfonso VI was achieved by the assault of the walls that protected the city. Apparently the Castilian troops climbed the defense walls as if they were cats.
Another possible source of this name comes from the fact that the residents were known during the Middle Ages for their great ability to climb walls with their bare hands.{{cite news
Contemporary Madrid came into its own after the death of general Francisco Franco. Years of the Franco regime left Madrid and much the country in economic shambles due to isolation. With his death, Madrid, and Spain as a whole, began to reassert itself on the international stage. Within Spain, reaction against the dictatorial bureaucracy centered in Madrid and a history of centralism that predated Franco by centuries has resulted in the successful modern movement towards increased autonomy for the regions of Spain, considered as autonomous regions, under the umbrella of Spain.
Modern Madrid ranks as one of the most important cities in Europe. Madrid is a leading southern European city and the most important link between the European Union and Latin America.
The modern metropolis is home to over three million people. As expected with any major European capital city, each district (or barrio in Spanish) has its own feel.
Opera
Royal Palace and the new cathedral, Our Lady of the Almudena, behind
As the name implies, Madrid's main Opera Theatre is the Teatro Real (Royal theatre). In front of the theatre is the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace is no longer used as a residence, but it has been kept intact since it last functioned as home to the King, serving as a cultural monument and occasionally used for state functions. The entire palace is not open to the public, but most of the more important rooms can be visited. The palace is interesting in its own right, in particular its architecture and gardens (there are two, the Jardines del Moro and the Sabattini gardens). There are also some excellent frescos inside the palace by Tiépolo, and paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, El Greco, Juan de Flandes and Caravaggio, among others.
Alonso Martínez
This district contains the large Plaza de Colón. This plaza commemorates Christopher Columbus, who was responsible for ushering in the Spanish imperial golden age of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is within walking distance of the main cultural and commercial areas of the city such as the Prado museum, the expansive Parque del Buen Retiro as well as near the business center on the lower part of the Paseo de la Castellana.
Atocha
Atocha includes a rather large area which is bordered by the Huertas and Lavapiés districts. The two important sites located in this area are the Reina Sofía Museum and the Atocha Railway Station (which was the main object of the terrorist attacks carried out on March 11th, 2004), one of the two main train stations in Madrid (the other one is Chamartín). The area also contains a number of art galleries and restaurants serving traditional food. This district also contains the main bus terminal as it is a central point of the city.
AZCA / Nuevos Ministerios
Puerta de Europa skyscrapers in Azca
Azca is the financial district. The area is populated by skyscrapers, among them Torre Picasso, Edificio BBVA and Torre Europa. Torre Windsor, one of the skyscrapers in this area, burnt entirely on the night between 12 February and 13, 2005 [1].A very large (3 interconnected buildings) El Corte Inglés department store is also here.The area is directly linked to Barajas Airport by metro line 8 from Nuevos Ministerios station.
Chueca is among the most authentic and cosmopolitan neighborhoods in the downtown city center. This district was the site of major urban decay during the early 1980s. However, later on during the decade it became one of the most active centers of the so-called 'La Movida', largely due to its new-found status as a popular gay village, and has become an internationaly political significant location after having held years of gay marriage and child adoption right reivindication, achieved in 2005 under socialist Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero's government. It is still quite attractive and has many good and interesting places to eat, as well as some of Madrid's most avant garde fashion and shoe shops.
Las Cortes
Cibeles Fountain in Las Cortes
This district is small in size. The most important sites include Spanish parliament buildings of the lower house Congreso de los Diputados. It also includes one of the three museums of the Madrid golden triangle, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. In addition, we find the highly ornate Banco de España, the Café del Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Zarzuela theater and the Plaza de Cibeles.
Gran Vía
Gran Via as seen from Alcala street
As the name implies, the Gran Vía district contains one of Madrid's most important avenues, the Gran Vía (literally, "Great Way"). First and foremost it is a shopping street; however it also contains a number of tourist accommodations, plenty of nightlife (all of Madrid's large goth scene gravitates around Gran Via, for instance)and many of Madrid's largest movie theaters. It is also a hub for Madrid's red-light district, linking as it does many side streets. One of these streets, Fuencarral has become a link between the old shopping areas of the center of the city, the Bohemian Malasaña, and the hip Chueca district, making of it one of the most cosmopolitan areas of the city.
Huertas-Lavapiés
Madrid's Gran Via seen from a bird's-eye view
Traditionally one of the poorer neighborhoods near the city center, this district has maintained much of true 'Madrileño' spirit of the past. Lavapiés is one of the areas with a high concentration of immigrants (mainly Chinese, Arabs, Hindi, Africans and Caribbeans), and also tends to attract artists and writers adding to the cosmopolitan mix. The presence of immigrants has led to an inevitable variety of shops and restaurants - this is a good place for good and cheap restaurants of local and international food. It's also one of the best places to search for non-Spanish foodstuff, (herbs and spices etc.)
La Latina
In and around this area are the origins of Madrid. Its difficult to put precise boundaries on La Latina, because, like its immediate neighbors, streets are narrow and winding. There are quite a few nightlife spots. There are also a number of attractive churches as well as Madrid's town palace. Bordering on La Latina's east side is the famous Rastro flea-market (a prime pick-pocket spot).
Malasaña
Malasaña is a vibrant neighborhood full of lively bars and clubs overflowing with young people. Its streets are currently being renovated, making it a much more attractive quarter (the streetworks are almost finished). It's one of the classic areas for partying the night away. The area's center is the Plaza del Dos de Mayo (in commemoration of the Madrilenian popular uprising on May 2, 1808, brutally and effectivey repressed by the French troops and which started the Spanish Independence War).
Although popularly known as the barrio Malasaña, the real name for the area is Universidad (University). The name Malasaña comes from the 17 year old girl Manuela Malasaña who once lived on the street San Andrés. She was killed fighting the French in 1808. Today there is a street named in her honour very close to the roundabout 'Glorieta de Bilbao'.
Barrio Retiro is a classic neighborhood surrounding the famous Retiro Park, to the east of the center of the city. It is demographically the oldest neighborhood in the city, however over the past 5 years the increasing number of flats put for rent have been attracting young people and students to the area in growing numbers, and the diversity of the gastronomical fare in the neighborhood reflects this.
The neighborhood can be characterized by the style of its three most important areas; in the north part centering on the calle Ibiza, the streets are in a grid pattern and the buildings, normally 6-10 storeys, are packed closely together, creating a bustling atmosphere of small shops, bars, and restaurants. This area is very similar to the neighborhing Salamanca neighborhood. In the south, called Niño Jesus, the area is quieter, more spacious, and residential. To the west of the park (but still included within the parameters of Barrio Retiro) is the Jerónimos area, an area of beautiful 18th and 19th century buildings and many museums (including the Prado). This area, however, has few private residences, the large flats (often above 200m2) being mainly used for offices.
Vallecas
Vallecas is a working-class residential district in the south of Madrid. It is also home to the Rayo Vallecano soccer team.
Aravaca
Aravaca is an upper-class residential suburb in the northwest of Madrid. During the spanish civil war the front was stabilized here for almost three years. Aravaca and its surroundings are plenty of parks and woods like Casa de Campo.
Madrid is one of Spain's most popular destinations, and its well known for the quantity of cultural related attractions and monuments that the city has embraced.
Madrid hosts the largest Plaza de Toros (bullfighting ring) in Spain, Las Ventas, inaugurated in 1931, and where bullfighting seasons are considered the most important in the world. It has the capacity for an audience of almost 25,000. Madrid's bullfighting season begins in March and ends in October. There are bullfights everyday during the festivities of San Isidro (who is Madrid's patron saint) from the middle of March to the middle of June, and every Sunday or holiday the rest of the season. The style of the Plaza is Neomudejar. Nowadays, it also hosts Music concerts and other events outside of the bullfighting season.{{
Madrid's emblem: el oso y el madroño, a favorite meeting place at Puerta del Sol
Madrid is also noted for its nightlife and discotheques. Younger madrileños sometimes dance all night, stop off for chocolate y churros at dawn, go home, shower, shave, and go to work. Also popular is the practice of meeting in parks or streets with friends and drinking together (called 'botellón', from 'botella', bottle), but from a few years back drinking in the street is sanctioned with a fine and now young madrileños drink together all around the city instead of in some well known places. Many places host bands (concerts in Madrid [2]). Nightlife and young cultural awakening flourished after the death of Franco, especially during the 80s while Madrid's mayor Enrique Tierno Galván was in office, called la movida and initially focussed on the Plaza del Dos de Mayo (Malasaña area). Bilbao, Tribunal, Alonso Martinez, in the geographical center, Moncloa on the west end, are populous night life places, in addition to Sol and Huertas in the historic center, which are also filled with tourists by day and night (especially Huertas). The gay district of Chueca is also a popular nighttime destination. However, as prices continue to rise and more jobs become available, nightlife in Madrid is becoming more and more like that of other European cities such as Stockholm or Munich.
Original building, Alcalá de Henares: The Complutense University was based here until 1836.
The Complutense University of Madrid is one of the oldest universities in the world, and the largest in Spain. It has 10000 staff and a student population of 117 000.It is located on two campuses, in the university quarter Ciudad Universitaria at Moncloa in Madrid, and in Somosaguas.{{cite news
The Complutense University of Madrid was founded in Alcala de Henares, old Complutum, by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499. Nevertherless, its real origin dates back from 1293, when King Sancho IV of Castille builds the General Schools of Alcalá, which would give rise to Cisnero's Complutense University.
During the course of 1509-1510 five schools were already operative: Artes y Filosofía (Arts & Philosophy), Teología (Theology), Derecho Canónico (Canonical Laws), Letras (Liberal Arts) and Medicina (Medicine).
In 1836, during the reign of Isabel II, the University was moved to Madrid, where it took the name of Central University and is located at San Bernardo Street.
Subsequently, in 1927, a new university area was planned to be built in the district of Moncloa-Aravaca, in lands handed over by the King Alfonso XIII to this end.
The Spanish Civil War turned the "Ciudad Universitaria" into a war zone, causing the destruction of several schools in the area, as well as the loss of part of its rich scientific, artistic and bibliographic heritage.
In 1970 the Government reforms the High Education, and the Central University become the Complutense University of Madrid. It is then when the new campus at Somosaguas is created in order to house the new School of Social Sciences.
The old Alcala campus is reopened as an independent University (University of Alcalá in 1977).{{cite news
The Autonoma, perhaps Spain's best university for research along with Complutense, was instituted under the leadership of the famous physicist, Nicolás Cabrera. The Autonoma is widely recognised for its research strengths in theoretical physics.
Known simply as la Autónoma in Madrid, its main site is the Cantoblanco Campus, situated 15 kilometers to the north of the capital (M-607) and close to the municipal areas of Madrid, namely Alcobendas, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Tres Cantos and Colmenar Viejo.
Located on the main site are the Rectorate building and the Faculties of Science, Philosophy and Fine Arts, Law, Economic Science and Business Studies, Psychology, Higher School of Computing Science and Engineering, and the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education.
The Medical School is sited outside the main site and beside the Hospital Universitario La Paz. {{cite news
Madrid is served by Barajas International Airport. Barajas is the main hub of Iberia Airlines. It consequently serves as the main gateway to the Iberian peninsula from Europe, America and the rest of the world. Current passenger volumes range upwards of 40 million passengers per year, putting it in the top 20 busiest airports in the world. Given annual increases of 10%, a new fourth terminal has been constructed. The new Terminal 4 is the biggest European airport terminal. It has significantly reduced delays and doubled the capacity of the airport to more than 70 million passengers per year. Two additional runways have also been constructed, making Barajas a fully operational four-runway airport.
National Rail
Spain's railway system, the Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles (Renfe) operates the vast majority of Spain's railways. In Madrid, the main rail terminals are Atocha and Chamartín.
The crown jewel of Spain's next decade of infrastructure construction is the Spanish high speed rail network, Alta Velocidad Española AVE. Currently, an ambitious plan includes the construction of a 7,000 km network, centered on Madrid. The overall goal is to have all important provincial cities be no more than 4 hours away from Madrid, and no more than 6 hours away from Barcelona. As of 2005, AVEhigh-speed trains link Atocha station to Seville ( to be extended to Malaga in 2007 ) and Toledo in the south and to Zaragoza and Lleida in the east (to be extended to Barcelona at the end of 2007).
Metro
A modern metro train (type 8000).
Serving the city's population of some six million, the Madrid Metro is one of the most extensive and fastest-growing metro networks in the world. With the addition of a loop serving suburbs to Madrid's south-west "Metrosur", it is now the second largest metro system in Western Europe, second only to London's Underground. The province of Madrid is also served by an extensive commuter rail network called Cercanías.
Madrid is home to Real Madrid, the world's most successful football club (according to FIFA) , which plays in the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. Its hometown rival, Atlético de Madrid, is also well supported in the city, and its supporters are called colchoneros. Madrid's contribution to the sport is further noticed by the fact that it hosted the 1982 FIFA World Cup final.
