Madrid

Madrid is the capital of Spain, and to date, also the second most populous municipality in the European Union. It is the seat of government and residence of the Spanish monarch, and it has more than six million inhabitants. The city is situated on the course of the Manzanarre River and the climate is temperate continental, with cold winters in which temperatures reach even below zero degrees, and very hot and sultry summers. Madrid is one of those places that fascinates and amazes me every time I see it. It can be easily reached in just an hour and a half by plane and is a city that has a lot to offer in terms of history, culture and landscape.

History

Magerit, «land rich in water», is the name by which the Arabs identified the area of the Spanish meseta near the Sierra de Guadarrama that Philip II chose to settle his court and that would later become the Madrid we know today. The first historical trace of the city dates back to the year 865, when Emir Muhammed I ordered a fortress to be built in the area of Mayrit, on the banks of the Manzanares river.

However, Madrid did not play an important role until Philip II moved his court here in 1561. Once the court was established, urban reforms had to be sanctioned and, quickly, the periphery was born, beyond the medieval enclosure. The settlement of the court and central political and administrative bodies in the city made it the focal point of Spanish artistic and literary life, which brought many artists here, from the rest of the peninsula as well as from abroad. The most important buildings in the Madrid of the Habsburgs were, in addition to several churches, the Plaza Mayor, the court prison and the town hall. The 18th century opened with the War of Succession of Charles II, in which Madrid was involved. From 1706 it remained loyal to the Bourbons and, as a reward, the monarchs made it the capital of a centralized State, with all the advantages of such a role.

On an urbanistic level, the Madrid of the Bourbons witnessed various improvements, mainly urbanistic and aesthetic, but there were also changes in its social context because of the presence of liberal groups and artisans. The efforts of the Bourbons to foster the economic, urban and cultural development of the city were crushed by the Napoleonic wars. After the Second World War, the capital, as well as being an important consumption center, began a process of modernization, in which large companies were created and industries of various kinds began to develop.

Places of interest

The Museo del Prado has the most comprehensive collection of Spanish painting in the world, with works from all historical periods since the 11th century. It has a valuable collection of over 8,600 paintings and 700 sculptures, including Velázquez's The Ladies and Goya's The Shootings of 3 May.

The Parque de El Retiro is the most important park in Madrid visited by tourists from all over the world. It is a large green space of one hundred and eighteen hectares that was built in the mid-17th century for the enjoyment of King Philip IV. Although it was partially destroyed during the War of Independence, it has regained all its charm and elegance and has become a park for the people and the royal family. In the park there are hundreds of corners to visit and activities to enjoy: puppet shows, musicians, palm readers, are some of the usual distractions.

The Palacio Real of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family. Today the palace is used exclusively for ceremonies, conferences and official acts, as the monarchs live in the Zarzuela Palace. It is also called the Oriental Palace and its construction began in 1738. Once the work was completed, Charles III established his official residence here in 1764.

Plaza Mayor measures one hundred and twenty-nine meters in length and ninety-four meters in width and is surrounded by arcades and three-story buildings. The square has always been a place for meetings, announcements and celebrations. In addition, it is filled with commemorative plaques, historical sites and other valuable symbols. Various architects were involved in the construction of the square, including Juan de Herrera and Juan Gómez de Mora. Over time, and after suffering several fires, Plaza Mayor has been rebuilt several times. To reach it, to this day you can use one of the several access gates that surround it.

M. Bolpagni