Madrid’s original name is “Mayrit,” which seems to refer to the abundance of rivers and water in this territory. In fact, it is an hybrid of two place names: “matrice,” meaning source in Mozarabic, and “majrà,” which means course of a river in Arabic.

Chosen by Muhammad I, Emir of Córdoba from 852 to 886, who wanted to build a fortress on the banks of the Manzanares River, where we find the Royal Palace today. Strategically, the citadel was built on a hill, overlooking the Sierra de Guadarrama. Spain as a country was consolidated in 1561, and Madrid was chosen as its capital. Charles I of Spain and V of Germany, under the Habsburg dynasty, unified all the kingdoms of the peninsula into the Kingdom of Spain, and his heir, Philip II, relocated the Imperial Court from Toledo to Madrid in 1561.

Since then, the city began to grow both in population and influence. In fact, the number of inhabitants increased from approximately 4,060 (1530) to 37,500 (1594). The city’s most emblematic works, such as Plaza Mayor and Retiro Park, were built under the reign of Philip III, son of Philip II, with the intention of maintaining Madrid’s supremacy over Toledo and Valladolid. In 1700, the Spanish crown passed to Philip V of Bourbon, who was responsible for the cultural development of the city through the foundation of academies and cultural organizations like the Royal Spanish Academy and the Royal Academy of History.

With the Treaty of Fontainebleau in 1807, French troops occupied Spain until 1808 when the Spanish War of Independence began after the French attempt to move the children of King Carlos IV from Madrid. The population of Madrid reached half a million inhabitants in the early 20th century, along with increased economic and urban activity, resulting in the construction of new buildings, markets, and means of transportation. Technological development, because of reconstruction efforts, has made Madrid one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe.

With its magnificent buildings, both classical and modern, the city witnessed many reconstruction efforts in the 1960s after suffering significant damage and losses during the Spanish Civil War. Immigration in Madrid caused significant demographic changes starting in 1920, and by 1930, 46.9% of the city’s inhabitants were not natives of Madrid. Today, six million people live in the province of Madrid, making it one of the most important cities in Europe and the world. There is no better way to learn than to see with our own eyes and experience it for ourselves.

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