Madrid

Madrid is the capital of the Spain. The vastest city and most populated country, it is the chief town of the autonomous Communauté of Madrid which belongs to the Province of Madrid. It also shelters the seat of OMT, the Worldwide organization of Tourism.

Very near to the geographical center of the Iberian peninsula, with approximately 50 km in the south of the Sierra of Guadarrama, the city extends in a vast plain between 600 and 700 meters above the sea level. The city has a population of 3.500.000 inhabitants included/understood in an urban surface of 7.000.000 inhabitants (with Tolede and Guadalajara).

History

The Spanish Conquest

In 1047, the king Ferdinand I {{er}} of Castille enters Madrid, but considering the place not very interesting it exchanges it against a tribute with king de Tolède.

Madrid will belong definitively to Castille when Alphonse IV of Castille takes the town of Tolède in 1085. But in 1109, Madrid is destroyed by the king Almoravide Tesufin. The Moslems will be expelled definitively of the area only in 1132, after the victory of Alphonse VII with Villarubia of los Ojos. The town of Madrid little by little will extend its domination on the surrounding communes like that of Segovia.

In 1217, Saint François d' Assise founds the monastery from San Francisco to Madrid. One year later, in 1218, the monastery of Santo Domingo el Real is built in its turn. Rodrigo Rodriguez becomes the first mayor of Madrid in 1219. The city will continue its development with new religious buildings and to receive sessions of the Cortes will be held there at the beginning of the 14th century. During the 15th century, Madrid will continue its growth under the reigns of Jean II and Isabelle the Catholic. In 1479, Pedro Zapata founds the monastery of Rejas and a municipal slaughter-house is built in 1489. The streets of Madrid start to be paved in 1492 and the city is organized according to the criteria of urbanization dictated by the catholic kings.

In 1525, the king François I {{er}} of France east makes captive at the time of the battle of Pavia by the army of Charles Quint. He is imprisoned in Madrid during one year in the Tower of los Lujanes. A peace treaty is signed between the two powers, and François Ier can return to France, leaving in Madrid his two daughters in guarantee, until the achievement of the clauses of the known as treaty. In 1547, prince Philippe bases the Convent of San Felipe el Real on the site of Puerta del Sol. The Convent Augustin de San Felipe Neri and that of Trinidad Descalza will be founded at the same time. Ten years later the Princess Jeanne, the sister of the future king d' Espagne Philippe II, orders the foundation of the Convent of nuns franciscaines, tired Descalzas Reales.

Madrid, capital of Spain

In 1561 an significant event occurs in Madrid: Philippe II decides to settle there with all his court, giving up Tolède and making of Madrid the new capital of Spain. One year later, the Spanish capital sees being born the Castilian poet Felix Lope de Vega. In February 1563 begins construction from Escorial. In 1599, is born Diego Velasquez which will become painter of the royal family thereafter. This same year, Puerta de Alcala is born.

The January 11th 1601, Philippe III, advised by the duke of Lerma, decides to transport the court to Valladolid. But vis-a-vis the popular discontent, Madrid is again indicated like capital of Spain the March 4th 1606.

In 1605, is published the first volume of Don Quichotte of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, with Juan printing works of Cuesta.

The Plaza Mayor of Madrid, is founded in 1616, and three years later is held the first bullfight of bulls there.

In 1632, the count d' Olivares presents to the king Philippe IV the keys of Buen Retiro.

Installation of the dynasty of the Bourbons

In 1701, Madrid sees arriving Philippe V, the first king of the dynasty of the Bourbons, the reigning family French which imposed one of her children on the throne of Spain. One year later began the War of succession of Spain, which ended in the treaty of Utrecht in 1713 and which will confirm Philippe V on the throne.

The day of the midnight supper of Christmas in 1734, a fire destroys the Alcazar of Madrid, symbol of the dynasty of Habsbourg in Spain. The April 7th 1738, the first stone of new the Palais Royal is posed.

In 1766 begins construction from Casa of Correos (“House of the Post office”) which is the current seat of the government of the autonomous community of Madrid. The park of Buen Retiro is opened with the public the following year. In 1785 will begin construction from the Musée of Prado. In 1790 begins work from remodelation of Plaza Mayor, but in August 1791 the place is burnt.

Joseph Bonaparte

The May 2nd 1808 the people of Madrid is raised against the French troops of Napoleon. This scene will be immortalisée by Francisco de Goya, just like the May 3rd 1808, day of repression of the French. It is the beginning of the reign of Joseph Bonaparte as a new king d' Espagne. But in 1812, it must flee Madrid after the battle of Majadahonda and the French troops are expelled of Spain one year later. The May 13rd 1814 Ferdinand VII makes a triumphal entry in the streets of Madrid.

Restoration of the Bourbons

The July 7th 1822, a rising of the Royal Guard is choked afterwards confrontations in Prado and on Plaza Mayor. The following year, the November 7th 1823, the general Riego is shot.

the November 19th 1850 the queen Isabelle II inaugurates the Royal Theater. The February 9th 1851 the railway line between Madrid and Aranjuez is inaugurated by sovereign Spanish, while work of the Channel Isabel II begins the August 11th same year.

Modern Madrid

Many buildings will be built or see their work beginning during the following years. it will be the case of the National library in 1866, the Savings bank and the Mount of Piety in 1870, and the appearance in 1871 of the first trams drawn by horses.

The cathedral of Almudena is started in the April 4th 1883 and the January 10th 1886 the architect Carlos Velasco presents his project of Gran Via which will reproduce, with its district of the businesses, the Austrian taste for grandiloquent architecture.

In 1898, one carries out the electrification of the first tram line in Madrid between the districts of Salamanca and Argüelles, while passing by Puerta del Sol. The October 3rd the first electrified tram lines are inaugurated between Sol and Serrano and Recoletos and Hipódromo.

The first number of the newspaper ABC, founded by Torcuato Luca de Tena, is published in Madrid on June 1st 1905.

Several attacks come take place during the years which follow: the May 31st 1906, the royal couple Alphonse XIII and Victoire Eugenie leave unscathed an attack in the Mayor Hold. The November 12th 1912, it is the president of the Council, Jose Canalejas, which is assassinated in Puerta del Sol by an anarchist of the name of Pardiñas Handbook. The March 8th 1921 the president of the Council Eduardo Dato is in its turn assassinated on the Place of Independence.

The March 2nd 1923, Madrid receives the visit of Albert Einstein which takes part in several scientific conferences at the University, with the Athénée of Madrid and with the Real Academia. It is received by the royal family.

The building work of the airport of Madrid Barajas will begin in 1929.

The April 14th 1931, two days after the triumph of the Republicans to the elections, the king leaves the capital. The Second Republic Spanish is proclaimed and the following day is formed the first Republican Municipal council chaired by Pedro Rico López. But as of the May 10th the first disorders emerge to Madrid and several churches are burnt.

The new arenas of Madrid, Plaza de Toros de Las Were windy, are inaugurated on October 1st 1934.

Civil war

Mode of Free

From 1948 to 1954, Madrid goes to integrate in its metropolitan surface the communes bordering on the capital. The June 23rd 1972, the zoo of Madrid is inaugurated in Casa of Campo.

The December 20th 1973, the Basque separatist organization ETA assassinates the President of the Government, Luis Carrero Blanco in the street Claudio Coello.

Third restoration of the Bourbons

Two years later, Francisco Franco dies the November 20th 1975 following a serious disease. Juan Carlos is proclaimed king d' Espagne, and the December 27th 1978 it signs the new Constitution making of Spain a constitutional monarchy. The Constitution will be in application two days later.

In 1981, the colonel Antonio Tejero Molina takes by storm the Congress of the Deputies, but Juan Carlos is firm and is opposed highly to the coup d'etat, receiving the support of the Spanish population.

In 1992, Madrid is named capital European culture and stood as candidate to accommodate the Olympic Games of summer of 2012 finally allotted to London.

Demography

The population of Madrid increased in a slow way until the 20th century. With industrialization and the rural migration, the population suddenly exploded, in particular in the Années 1960. More recently the growth profited with the suburban communes, the town of Madrid having lost population since the Années 1980. The estimate at January 1st 2004 was of 3 162 304 inhabitants, indicating an increase in 70 000 inhabitants compared to the previous year and placing Madrid with the third rank of the the most populated cities of the European Union. Currently (Jan-2006), the urban surface of Madrid account will environt 7 million inhabitants, and its area more than 6 million.

Districts of Madrid

Madrid is divided into blackjack districts, subdivided in many districts ( barrios ) with the marked characters.

Alonso Martínez

The district is spread out between large Plaza de Colón, arranged in the honor of Christophe Colomb, and Alonso Martínez places it. It is bordered in the West by Paseo de Recoletos and in the South by Chueca. It is a calm district with the discrete charm, narrowly supervised because it shelters the highest Spanish legal institutions (the Supreme court, Audiencia Nacional - where are judged the great criminal cases, in particular those implying terrorisms Basque and Islamic - and the General advice of the judicial Power) as well as the ministry for the Interior, the seat of the Popular party, the French Institute of Madrid and the Embassy of France in Spain.

Atocha

This district owes its name with the old hermitage of Atocha, today basilica. In this district is the Gare Renfe of Atocha, older station of Madrid and larger station of Spain. This station is famous for its hall which shelters a tropical garden and, more sadly, to have been the convergence point of the suburban trains ( cercanías ) which exploded at the time of the made an attempt of March 11th, 2004. A memorial was inaugurated with the memory of died (it with the shape of a large plastic cylinder). Opposite the station rises the Center of Art Reina Sofía, national museum of contemporary art which shelters showpieces of Juan Gris, Joan Miró, El Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso, of which the famous Guernica.

AZCA/Nuevos Ministerios

District of businesses. Many towers: Torre Picasso, Edificio BBVA and Torre Europa. The Torre Windsor, entirely burned in February 2005. The department store, El Corte Inglés is present there. From the station of the subway Nuevos Ministerios , a line joined the airport.

Chueca

District very animated at the time of the Movida inhabitant of Madrid, Chueca had been deserted in the years 1980, becoming a reference mark of héroïnomanes. Having profited since from the urban evolution and a policy of réhabilitaion of the municipality, Chueca became a connected district of avant-garde, where restaurants, bars and discotheques côtoient the shops of mode. It is the gay district today of the city. Organized around Plaza Chueca, small high place colors, it is separated from the district close to Malasaña by two very animated commercial streets, the Hold of Fuencarral and the Hold of Hortaleza, broadsides of many stores of young designers, design objects or electronic music.

Mow the Cortes

Small but dense district out of buildings sheltering of important institutions, which makes the junction between Sol and Prado, along Will square of San Jerómino. The most notable building is that of the Congreso of los Diputados. The Musée Thyssen-Bornemisza is located in the perimeter, in company of the Banque of Spain, the Círculo de Bellas Artes, of the Théâtre of Zarzuela or of the large hotel Palace .

Gran Vía

The “main street” is the most important avenue of the historical center, currently gathering many centers of services: cinemas, theaters, hotels, department stores, banks, as well as the central seat of Telefónica.

The first work for its construction began in the years 1910 by order from the government from Alphonse XIII from Spain, according to a plan of town-planning of 1862. With this great project of town planning, taking as a starting point New York, a neo-classic style inhabitant of Madrid established by architects like Antonio Palacios, Muguruza and Zuazo affirmed.

During the civil war, many buildings were the target of the air raids or the artillery Franquiste. During the dictatorship it bore the name of “Avenue of Jose Antonio” in homage to Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, then it found its original name after the death of Franco.

Huertas

Old barrio of mow will letras , Huertas is from now on a high tourist place, in particular the night. Its very many picturesque bars, around the plaza Santa-Anna or along the hold of mow Huertas, are particularly snuffed by the foreign students and youth inhabitant of Madrid.

Lavapiés

Officially called Embajadores , it was at the 15th century the Jewish district of Madrid. Today it is popular quarters, accommodating many immigrants and restaurants of the whole world. The cosmopolitan mixture attracts also a Bohemian population artists and inhabitants of Madrid with counter-current. The grocers propose there ingredients of all the kitchens of the world. One finds there also many theaters, squats and arts centres such as put it encendida where the Spanish cineclub. Fragile interethnic balance is threatened there by the strong speculative pressure of the property developers and the policy of depauperisation of the center town launched by the town hall of Madrid. In spite of that, the district always continues to suffer from a certain reputation of insecurity.

Latina

The district sore of the historical center, which unfolds itself in small tortuous streets in the South of the Plaza Mayor, on both sides of the Hold of Toledo. Very attended by the students for his charm, his softness of living and its bars with typed, Latina enters in effervescence each Sunday morning at the time of the Rastro, the flea market of Madrid, whose tradition goes back to several centuries. It is an immense market in the open air where tourists and Madrilènes bind themselves at the end of the morning, to unearth strange objects there as much that to benefit from its festive atmosphere.

Malasaña

Originally dénominé Maravillas , the district was then adopted under the official name of Malasaña . Manuela Malasaña was an young girl of the Hold of San Andrés, died at the time of the Soulèvement of the Back of Mayo under the Napoleonean occupation in 1808. The district is also often indicated under the name of Tribunal . Place impossible to circumvent of the night life inhabitant of Madrid, organized around Plaza LED Back of Mayo and the stop of subway Court, Malasaña is a district very alive and variegated, whose narrow streets shelter innumerable bars and discotheques attracting young and animated customers, mainly coed. The movement of the Movida was born in these streets, and buildings which exist always such as the Via Lactea or the Nueva Visión .

Salamanca

This vast district owes its name with its promoter, the marquis de Salamanca, who made it set up ex nihilo at the 19th century. Today, it is the crested district of the Spanish capital, where reside the easy classes. It is delimited by the Paseo of Castellana (Western), the Hold of Joaquín Costa (North), Plaza Manuel Becerra (Is) and the Parc of Retiro (Southern). The Hold of Goya, the Hold of Velazquez and the Hold of Serrano (the most expensive street of Madrid) are the main arteries. The broad avenues organized in checkerwork of Salamanca slice with the imbroglio small streets which forms the other districts of the center of Madrid and are bordered of residential buildings of high standing, de luxe hotels and stores of luxury. It is a very elegant district where it is good to stroll and make shopping (with the proviso of having the means of them) but little animated the come evening. The official residence of the Ambassador of France in Spain, a splendid villa of the beginning of 20th century, is located in the middle of Salamanca, with the intersection of the Hold of Serrano and the Hold of María de Molina.

Tourist sites

Museums

Museum of Prado
Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza
National museum Queen Sophie (or is exposed Guernica of Pablo Picasso)
National Archaeological Musée of Spain
Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando

Palate and gardens

Palais Royal
Palais of crystal of Arganzuela
Parc of Retiro
Parc of Put of Campo

Religious buildings

the Place of Directs
Temple of Debod
Monastère of Exposed Royal the
Monastère of the Incarnation
Cathédrale of Almudena
Spanish Franc-maçonnerie

Famous arteries and places

the Puerta LED Ground
the Plaza Mayor
the Fountain of Cibeles
the Fountain of Neptune
the Door of Alcalá
the Door of Tolède
streets Preciados/Carmen and Serrano/Goya , high places of the luxury trade with many signs of mark. The department stores have there also well-established, like the Corte Ingles.

Contemporary town planning

The majority of the buildings great height are concentrated in the district of business AZCA:

Torrespaña
Torres Blancas
Torre Picasso
the turns Puerta de Europa
the Torre Windsor (disaster victim in 2005)
the Torre LED Bank value of Bilbao

Currently there are four new scrapes-ciels in construction in Madrid, in the north of Place of Castille, in the prolongation of Castellana. They will be finished during the year 2007.

Torre Repsol: sit of the oil company Repsol
Torre Sacyr (235 m): future hotel 5 stars and turn of offices
Torre Mutua Madrileña (250 m): sit of the company to same not.
Torre Espacio (220 m): offices

http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?c815

Images of contemporary town planning in Madrid

Around Madrid

Monastery of Escorial
palate of Aranjuez
old city of Alcalá de Henares
Basilica Holy-Cross LED valle of los Caìdos

Education

Several universities are installed in the community of Madrid.

Complutense University of Autonomous Madrid
University of Madrid (campus with Cantoblanco).
Polytechnic University of Madrid (campus with the Ciudad Universitaria of Madrid, in Montegancedo (Boadilla LED Goes up) and in the south, with Vallecas).
University King Juan Carlos (primarily with Móstoles, Alcorcón and Fuenlabrada, some faculties with Vicálvaro).
Université of Alcalá (primarily to Alcalá de Henares (Madrid)
the remote university (UNED) has its seat in Madrid.
University Pontificia de Comillas (campus with Cantoblanco, Alberto Aguilera and Calle Quintana)

Transport and communications

Urban transport

the Métro of Madrid offers a dense and effective network which places it at the head world public transport systems.
Drunk and suburban trains ensure a fluid relation for the pendular travellers of the periphery

External communications

The railway national company Renfe serves all the peninsula starting from the stations of Atocha and Chamartín.

The Aéroport of Barajas is, with more 45 million passengers in 2006, the 13th airport of the world for the number of passengers. He knows an average growth of 15 % per annum. The new terminal “T4” carrying the capacity of the airport to more 70 million passengers per annum was inaugurated in February 2006. It is the largest terminal of the world with a surface of more than 1 million m ².

Economy

From the reign of Philippe II the city became capital. During many years, the city remained an administrative city, centralizing the activities of the State. Industrialization arrived in a massive way after the Civil war. It was concentrated in the fields of precision mechanics, electronics, pharmaceutical…. The official centralism supported the economic growth of the city. Many companies installed their national headquarter there for this period.

Recently the phenomenon of urban disindustrialization left room to tertiary sector. They are not limited any more to the administration of state, but are especially financial and related to the communications (fairs, conferences, airport traffic).

Tourism constitutes also an economic pole of importance. The city exploits its and attractive, modern alive image to captivate cultural tourism and festive.

Its economy is also turned towards car (PSA), the shipbuilding (components), the agroalimentary one, plastic industry, electronics, telecommunication… It concentrates 50% activitées of high technologies of Spain (universitées, research center, seats of companies…)

Night life

the movida, according to the death of Franco contributed to affirm the festive character of the city. The initial movement was supported by Enrique Tierno Galván, then mayor of Madrid and emblematic figure of the democratic transition. Since the operación Luna however, initiative of the municipality and government of the autonomous community inhabitant of Madrid, the bars must close at two hours, and the Botellon be are prohibited, which definitively put an end to the movida inhabitant of Madrid.

Cook inhabitant of Madrid

See also: Spanish Kitchen, Kitchen Castilian, Kitchen inhabitant of Madrid

The local kitchen is rich in pork-butcheries and consistent products and are connected with that of all the Castille. It includes/understands famous dishes:

Cocido
Callos with the madrileña
Churros
Patatas fritas
Roscon
Turron
Twisted

Twinnings

Local festivals

May 2nd, festivals of the district of Malasaña
May 15th, Holy Isidore the Plowman . Patron saint of Madrid.
June 12th, Holy Antoine of Florida . Patron saint of Príncipe Pío.
June, Fiestas of hold LED pez .
June, Fiestas de Chueca . The Gay pride inhabitant of Madrid is an official festival of district.
Around the August 7th: " Fiestas de Lavapiés" in the district of the same name.
Around the August 15th: " Fiestas of Paloma" in the district of Latina.
November 9th, festival of the Virgin of Almudena . Holy owner of Madrid.

Sports

The city shelters two important clubs of football:

the Real Madrid, 9 times champions of the cut of Europe of football and 30 times champion of the liga. It is in this club that play Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Raúl, Iker Casillas, Fabio Cannavaro, and where played Claude Makélélé, Christian Karembeu, Zinedine Zidane…

(2007).

the Atlético of Madrid. This one or play Maniche, Costinha, Luccin….

Madrid was candidate with the organization of the Olympic Games of the XXX Olympiad of the modern era in 2012. The mayor Jose María Álvarez del Manzano was at the origin of this initiative. Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, its successor continued it but the Jeux of XXXe Olympiade of the modern era will be celebrated with London. The Olympic city was chosen and announced at the time of the 117e session of the International Olympic committee (CIO), the July 6th 2005 with Singapore, Madrid had been eliminated with the third turn.

Madrid is candidate with the Olympic Games of 2016.

See too

Attacks in Madrid of March 11th, 2004

Be-X-old: Мадрыд Cbk-zam: Madrid Simple: Madrid Zh-min-nan: Madrid

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