General Information
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The city has a population of approximately 3.27 million and the metropolitan area is home to around 6.3 million people. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and the Madrid metropolitan area is the third largest in the European Union, after Paris and London. The city covers a total area of 604.3 km2.
History
The history of Madrid dates back to the 9th century, which is much later than the founding of Toledo and other cities. Here, too, Muslims played a major role, settling here mainly for strategic reasons. They chose the site of today's Royal Palace with views of the countryside and the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. The former capital of the area was Toledo, and the short distance between it and the newly formed city of Mayrit was bustling.
It was not until 1561 that Philip II. decided to move the entire royal court to Madrid, which thus became the capital of the empire. The main reason why he chose a city in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula was that the city had no historical or regional ties and he could shape it at will.
After the discoveries and money flowing here from the New World, the city got rich. In addition, there were many important personalities, led by Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, Tirso de Molina or Miguel de Cervantes and others.
Madrid - Quick guide
In this city, everyone will find something for themselves, there are hundreds of years old buildings and palaces, as well as many museums, theaters, up to the most modern buildings and skyscrapers. Of the monuments, it is definitely worth visiting the Royal Palace (Palacio Real), whose foundations were laid in 852 by the Arab Emir Muhammad I.
The most important museum is the famous Museo del Prado. In this gallery you can see paintings by painters from all over Europe. The most famous squares in Madrid are the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza de España. Sports enthusiasts will certainly appreciate a visit to the Santiago Bernabéu Sports Stadium, home to the world's most famous football club, Real Madrid.
Interesting Facts
Madrid is home to the top management of many organizations: the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), PIOB and SEGIB. The city is also the center of international Spanish language regulators: the leadership of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) and the Instituto Cervantes.
The motto of the city is in Spanish "Fui sobre agua edificada, mis muros de fuego son." - in Czech "I was built on the water, my walls are of fire".
