Guide of Madrid

Presentation of Madrid

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The city is located on the river Manzanares in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid (which comprises the city of Madrid, its conurbation and extendeds uburbs and villages); this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-LaMancha. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political center of Spain.

Due to its economic output, standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial center of the Iberian Peninsula. it hosts the head offices of the vast majority ofthe major Spanish companies, as well as the headquarters of three of the world's 100 largest companies.

While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighborhoods and streets.

History of Madrid

The Kingdom of Castile, with its capital at Toledo, and the Crown of Aragon, with its capital at Zaragoza, were welded into modern Spain by the Catholic Monarchs (Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon).

Though their grandson Charles I of Spain favoured Seville, it was Charles' son, Philip II (1527–1598) who moved the court to Madridin 1561. Although he made no official declaration, the seat of the court was the de facto capital. Seville continued to control commerce with Spain's colonies, but Madrid controlled Seville.

Aside from a brief period, 1601-1606, when Felipe III installed hiscourt in Valladolid, Madrid's fortunes have closely mirrored those of Spain. During the Siglo de Oro (Golden Century), in the 16th/17th century, Madrid bore little resemblance to other European capitals, as the population of the city was economically dependent on the business of the court itself, and there was no other significant activity.

From 19th century to present day:

In the late 1800s, Isabel II could not suppress the political tensiont hat would lead to yet another revolt, the First Spanish Republic. This was later followed by the return of the monarchy to Madrid, then thecreation of the Second Spanish Republic, preceding the Spanish Civil War.

Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities of Spain by the Civil War (1936–1939). The city was a stronghold of the Republicans from July 1936. Its western suburbs were the scene of anall-out battle in November 1936 and it was during the Civil War that Madrid became the first city to be bombed by airplanes specifically targeting civilians in the history of warfare.

During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, especially during the 1960s, the south of Madrid became very industrialized, and there were massive migrations from rural areas of Spain into the city. Madrid's south-eastern periphery became an extensive working class settlement, which was the base for an active cultural and political reform.

After the death of Franco, emerging democratic parties (includingt hose of left-wing and republican ideology) accepted King JuanCarlos I as both Franco's successor and as the heir of the historic dynasty - in order to secure stability and democracy. This led Spain to its current position as a constitutional monarchy, with Madridas capital.

Benefiting from increasing prosperity in the 1980s and 1990s, the capital city of Spain has consolidated its position an important economic, cultural, industrial, educational, and technological center onthe European continent.

See the full history of Madrid on Wikipedia

Sister cities of Madrid

See all hotels of Madrid