Overview
According to Arab chroniclers, it was in AD 852 that the
Emir of Córdoba, Mohamed I (AD 852-886), ordered a
fortress to be built on the left bank of the
Manzanares River, the geographical
center of the
Iberian Peninsula. He named the settlement
‘Mayrit' (‘source of water') and in it laid the seeds of the city now known as Madrid.
Traces of this
flourishing Moorish town survive to this day, in a section of
muralla Arabe (town wall) near the Royal Palace, as well as in the
mudéjar architectural style of Madrid's oldest church,
San Nicolás de las Servitas.
Mayrit (or Magerit) was situated in a
strategically important location and
Christians and
Arabs fought bitterly over the
territory until late in the 11th century, when
Alfonso VI finally settled matters by capturing the
Alcázar (castle) after a
three-year siege. However, it would be another 500 years before Philip II took the historic decision, in 1561, to
move his
capital from
Valladolid to
Madrid.
Today, Madrid remains
Spain's financial and
political core, home to the
Cortes (Parliament),
Senate and
Royal Family, as well as the extraordinary cultural riches of the Golden Triangle - the
Prado, Reina Sofía and
Thyssen-Bornemisza art museums.
With a population of just over three million, Madrid is
Europe's third largest city (after London and Berlin) and its
highest capital, at 650m (2,132ft) above sea level.
The
repression and
torpor of the
Franco era (1939-75) are now all but
forgotten by
Madrileños who, perhaps more than any other Spaniards, are determined to
vivir a tope (
live life to the full). The craving for
conspicuous enjoyment, not to mention the
2,800 hours of annual sunshine, turn the streets into bustling centers of public display.
Madrid's infectious and colorful
fiestas punctuate the year, with each
barrio (district) trying to outdo the other in its celebrations. The highlights include
Reyes Magos (Feast of the Three Kings),
Carnival, the religious processions of
Holy Week, the
San Isidro Festival in May (the beginning of the bullfighting season) and
Nochevieja (New Year's Eve), when the Puerta del Sol becomes the focal point during several hours of uninhibited partying.
Visitors should also look out for the
major cultural festivals, notably the
Veranos de la Villa in summer and the autumn
Festival de Otoño, embracing film, dance, theater and music of every description. Although Madrid's climate is more extreme than other Spanish locations, the
warm dry summers and
cool winters still allow for many
alfresco activities.
Although anxious to
appear ‘modern' in
clothes, outlook and
lifestyle,
Madrileños remain
fiercely traditional, clinging to their customs more noticeably than their cosmopolitan Barcelonese rivals do. Most choose to live at home until marriage, divorce remains controversial (particularly in high society) and the family surpasses everything.
While the
Comunidad de Madrid (Madrid Province) stretches over 8,000sq km (3,090sq miles), the city's historic heart is easily explored on foot. The
narrow, labyrinthine streets of the
medieval quarter contrast with the
grand boulevards, laid out in the 18th and 19th centuries - the period when Madrid began to take on the trappings of a modern capital.
Each
barrio has its own
distinctive atmosphere -
Lavapiés, Malasaña and
Chueca being the oldest and most interesting. Many visitors first get to know the central area, known as the
Madrid of the Austrias (a reference to the Hapsburg era), situated roughly between the Palacio Real and the Puerta del Sol,
Madrid's ‘mile zero'. It is only a short walk from here to the city's main street, the
Gran Vía, lined with shops, banks, offices, bars and cinemas.
Fashionable Madrid starts with the
Salamanca district and the boutiques of
Calle Serrano, while the
modern business quarter extends along the north-south axis, known as the
Paseo de la Castellana. Distinguished by its
skyscrapers and impressive
office blocks, this is where the
multinationals have their headquarters.
At the far (northern) end of the Paseo de la Castellana are the
‘leaning towers' of the
Puerta de Europa (Gateway of Europe), a daring display of architecture symbolizing the city's confidence in its future.
Since the
1March 2004 terrorist attacks, where a series of bombs exploded simultaneously on commuter trains heading toward the mainline train station
Atocha, the city has
sobered up quite considerably and the bombings produced a sense of unprecedented
solidarity. Despite the brutality of the attacks, it has been
‘business as usual' with no noticeable impact on the economy.
The
best times to visit Madrid are between
March-June and then during
September-October. July in Madrid must be
avoided at all costs because it is when the
heat will be at its most extreme.
August, still a very hot month, is when most locals will take their
holidays and the resulting
exodus to the seaside resorts leave Madrid rather
empty. Although this means one avoids the crowds, it also means that most shops and businesses will be
shut for the entire month....
More >>