Madrid Capital of Spain

Madrid is relatively young when compared to theof the most wide ranging private collections of
other great Spanish cities such as Seville andEuropean art. The Queen Sofia Museum of
Valencia and so it lacks the traditions of themodern art includes turn of the 20th century
ancient Andalusian and Castilian towns. It lies on aCatalan Modernism, Juan Gris' cubism, the bronze
vast open plateau and is subject to extremes ofsculptures of Pablo Gargallo, some 20 canvases
temperature, the daily variation is sometimesby Salvador Dali and Picasso's work condemning
22°C. The locals sum up their climate as ninethe German bombing the town of Guernica in the
months of winter and another 3 months of hell.Basque country during the Spanish civil war. Also
It is the nation's chief transportation andworth a visit is the Monasterio de las Descalzas
administrative centre. Its commercial and industrialReales which holds an interesting collection of
life developed very rapidly after the 1890s andtreasures.
today it is nation's chief transportation andMadrid was first mentioned in the 10th century as
administrative centre, rivalled only by Barcelona.a fortress of the Moors. Alfonso VI of Castile
Besides it's many manufacturing industries, Madriddrove them out in 1083. The Cortes of Castile
are foremost as a banking, education, printing,met in Madrid several times, and Ferdinand and
publishing, tourism, and film production centre.Isabella as well as Emperor Charles V often
The general aspect of Madrid is modern, withresided there, but Madrid became the capital of
boulevards and fashionable shopping areas, but theSpain only in 1561, in the reign of Philip II. The city
old quarters have picturesque streets. In thedeveloped slowly at first, but it expanded rapidly
heart of the city is the Plaza Mayor, a 17thin the 18th century under the Bourbon kings. The
century square, built in the style of Juan deroyal palace and the Prado date from that period.
Herrera. Madrid's loveliest gardens can found theA popular uprising against the French took place
Buen Retiro Park which opened in 1631. At theat Madrid on May 2, 1808 at the beginning of the
weekends street performers including musicians,Peninsular War. A fierce battle was fought in the
tarot readers and puppet shows for children playcity's central square, the Puerta del Sol. In reprisal,
in the park but this does bring in the crowds.hundreds of citizens were shot at night along the
Other landmarks include, El Pacicio Real, the hugePrado promenade. Goya immortalized the events
and very opulent royal palace. A restored 1850of that day with two of his most celebrated
opera house and the imposing 19th-centurypaintings, both can be seen in the Prado gallery.
building containing the national library, the nationalMadrid again played a heroic role in the Spanish
archives, and an archaeological museum. Alsocivil war, when, under the command of General
noteworthy is the modern University City, whichJosé Miaja, it resisted 29 months of siege by
transferred from the town of Alcalá de Henaresthe Franco's Nationalist forces, suffering several
in 1836.bombardments and air attacks. It finally
The best area in Madrid for bars and clubs issurrendered in late March 1939 effectively bringing
Malasana. If you arrive before 1 am you'll find thethe conflict to an end.
night yet to get underway. Cool Ballroom isAlcalá de Henares lies some 30 km to the east
probably numero uno in the city. And don't forgetof Madrid, on the Henares River. Once surrounded
to end the night with the traditional Chocolate conby wheat fields, the building of a major road has
Churrus. Madrid, as you would expect hasdrawn it into the suburban orbit of Madrid.
numerous eating-place but try Casa Mingo in theChemicals, plastics, electrical appliances, leather,
Rio Manzanares. The house speciality is a wholeand china are produced in the town. Among the
roast chicken served with a salad and a bottle oflandmarks are a Gothic collegiate church and the
cider. On Sunday you should head for, along withformer archiepiscopal palace. The new University
most of the population of the city, theof Alcalá de Henares was founded in 1977.
Embajadores for the flea market on El Rastro.The town was called Complutum in Roman times.
Most of what is on sale is junk but there are aIt is famous as the former seat of a great
few stalls with genuine antiques. If you're auniversity founded in 1508 which subsequently
football fan try to obtain tickets for one of Realtransferred to Madrid in 1836. Also as the
Madrid's home games at the spectacular Santiagobirthplace of Cervantes, Ferdinand I and Katherine
Bernabeu Stadium. Here you will see the famousof Aragon. And lastly as the scene of the Cortes
"galacticos" perform, or as is more usual underin which Alfonso XI promulgated the
perform.Ordenamiento de Alcalá. The Spanish civil war
Madrid places host to three superb art museums,saw the town severely damaged.
the Prado, which houses one of the finest artOther towns within the autonomous region of
collections in the world including works byMadrid include Toledo, which preceded Madrid as
Veleazquez, Domenikos Theotokopoulos, Goya,the Spanish capital. Avila, whose old walls remain
Murillo, Ribera, Hieronymus Bosch, Rubens,largely intact and a walk along them provides
Botticelli, Mantegna, Titian, Rembrandt, Mengs,superb views of the town within and the harsh
Poussin and Gainsborough. TheCastilian landscape outside. Segovia and it's ancient
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is housed in theaqueduct which is an example of Roman
renovated Villahermosa Palace and is home to oneengineering at it's very best and Guadalajara.