About City
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.
The city is located on the river Manzanares in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political centre of Spain. The current mayor is Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón from the People's Party.
Due to its economic output, standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial centre of the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of the major Spanish companies, as well as the headquarters of three of the world's 100 largest companies (Telefónica, Repsol-YPF, Banco Santander).
While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the huge Royal Palace of Madrid; the Teatro Real (Royal theatre) with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro park, founded in 1631; the imposing 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; an archaeological museum; and three superb art museums: Prado Museum, which hosts one of the finest art collections in the world, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, housed in the renovated Villahermosa Palace.
There are several theories regarding the origin of the name "Madrid". According to legend Madrid was founded by Ocno Bianor (son of King Tyrrhenius of Tuscany and Mantua) and was named "Metragirta" or "Mantua Carpetana". Others contend that the original name of the city was "Ursaria" ("land of bears" in Latin), due to the high number of these animals that were found in the forests, which, together with the strawberry tree ("madroño" in Spanish), have been the emblem of the city from the Middle Ages.
Nevertheless, it is now commonly believed that the origin of the current name of the city comes from the 2nd century B.C. The Roman Empire established a settlement on the banks of the Manzanares river. The name of this first village was "Matrice". Following the invasions of the Germanic Sueves, Vandals and Alans during the fifth century A.D., the Roman Empire could not defend its territories on the Iberian Peninsula, and were therefore overrun by the Visigoths. The barbarian tribes subsequently took control of "Matrice". In the 7th century the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula saw the name changed to "Mayrit", from the Arabic term "Mayra" and the Ibero-Roman suffix "it" that means "place".
| Population | Cinemas | Theaters |
| 3 200 000 | 18 | 18 |
Interesting Places
- Walls of Madrid
- Iglesia de San Nicolas de los Servitas
- Casa de los Lujanes
- Iglesia de San Pedro el Grande
- Plaza de la Paja built in 16th century is a Chapel with altar showcasing the Renaissance style
- Casa Cisneros and Bridge of Segovia also belong to the 16th century. Covering the area of 9 acres, Bridge of Segovia is a masterpiece of Juan de Herrera
- Casa de las Siete Chimeneas is an important landmark of 16th century that presently serves as Ministry of Culture
- Monasterio de la Encarnacion belonging to the 17th century showcases one of the finest Madrid's baroque style of art
- Plaza Mayor built by Philip III in between 1617-1619, depicts the magnificent Renaissance art
- Palacio Real, built under the rule of Philip V in 1714
- Fountain of Neptune
- Bridge of Toledo
- Museo del Prado designed by Juan de Villanueva in Paseo del Prado
- Palacio Real. The Royal Palace has been transformed from residence place to museum to showcase the royal and kingsize life of previous rulers of Madrid
- Parque del Retiro (Park of the Retreat) was designed in the 1630s by the Duke of Olivares
- Royal Botanical Garden and Casa de Campo are two other landscaped parks in Madrid that feature scenic lake with boats and canoes, verdure foliage and you can spot various species of animals in Casa de Campo
Clubs recommended by Study4u
PACHA
PACHA- Madrid's most famous and electrifying discotheque that will give you groovy and heart beating numbers to dance on all night long.
Go to club website
Palacio Gaviria
This is a stunning club, still decorated as a lavish 16th century palace, complete with sweeping marble staircase. There are several rooms to explore inside, including two dance floors with different music. There’s a mix of Spanish pop, dance, R&B and other commercial sounds. The only problem you’ll have is decided which dance floor you want to be on!
Go to club website
Useful links
