75-522: Majo (masc., [ˈma.xo] ) or maja (fem., [ˈma.xa] ), also manolo and manola , after the most popular names, were people from the lower classes of Spanish society, especially in Madrid , who distinguished themselves by their elaborate outfits and sense of style in dress and manners, as well as by their cheeky behavior. They flourished from the late 18th to early 19th century, and to some extent later. Majos and majas were one of
150-696: A metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and its monocentric metropolitan area is the second-largest in the EU. The municipality covers 604.3 km (233.3 sq mi) geographical area. Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula at about 650 meters above mean sea level. The capital city of both Spain and
225-401: A 0.8 km (0.31 sq mi) periurban park as well as municipal garden centres and compost plants. Madrid has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSk ), transitioning to a Mediterranean climate (Csa) in the western half. The city has continental influences. Winters are cool due to its altitude, which is approximately 667 m (2,188 ft) above sea level and distance from
300-519: A declaration of war calling all the Spaniards to fight against the French invaders. The city was invaded on 24 May 1823 by a French army—the so-called Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis —called to intervene to restore the absolutism of Ferdinand that the latter had been deprived from during the 1820–1823 trienio liberal . Unlike other European capitals, during the first half of the 19th century
375-548: A number of monuments and cultural institutions. The reforms enacted by his Sicilian minister were however opposed in 1766 by the populace in the so-called Esquilache Riots , a revolt demanding to repeal a clothing decree banning the use of traditional hats and long cloaks aiming to curb crime in the city. In the context of the Peninsular War , the situation in French-occupied Madrid after March 1808
450-597: A public health issue, with punctual cases of asthma epidemics among the inhabitants of Madrid in the aforementioned months. Sunshine duration is 2,769 hours per year, from 124 (4 hours per day in average) in December to 359 (above 11.6 hours per day in average) in July. This is one of the largest number of sunshine duration hours in Europe and this is a bit above average for the southern half of Europe because in this part of
525-602: A radial system of communications and transports for the country through public investments. Philip V built the Royal Palace, the Royal Tapestry Factory and the main Royal Academies. The reign of Charles III , who came to be known as "the best mayor of Madrid", saw an effort to turn the city into a true capital, with the construction of sewers, street lighting, cemeteries outside the city and
600-527: A severe housing shortage. Slums and squalor grew due to high population growth and the influx of the poor to the city. Construction of affordable housing failed to keep pace and increased political instability discouraged economic investment in housing in the years immediately prior to the Civil War. Anti-clericalism and Catholicism lived side by side in Madrid; the burning of convents initiated after riots in
675-566: A sizeable town of the Crown of Castile . The development of Madrid as administrative centre fostered after 1561, as it became the permanent seat of the court of the Hispanic Monarchy . The Madrid urban agglomeration has the fourth-largest GDP in the European Union and its influence in politics , education , entertainment , environment , media , fashion , science , culture , and the arts all contribute to its status as one of
750-554: A starting point for Muslim offensives. After the disintegration of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the early 11th century, Madrid was integrated in the Taifa of Toledo . In the context of the wider campaign for the conquest of the taifa of Toledo initiated in 1079, Madrid was seized in 1083 by Alfonso VI of León and Castile , who sought to use the town as an offensive outpost against the city of Toledo, in turn conquered in 1085. Following
825-792: A transported ancient Egyptian temple. Other urban parks are the Parque de El Capricho , the Parque Juan Carlos I (both in northeast Madrid), Madrid Río , the Enrique Tierno Galván Park [ es ] , the San Isidro Park [ es ] as well as gardens such as the Campo del Moro (opened to the public in 1978) and the Sabatini Gardens (opened to the public in 1931) adjacent to
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#1732780031829900-412: A version of chulo and chula in reference to their saucy attitude, as well as chispero and chispera , among others. Although majos of both sexes were frequent subjects of painter Francisco Goya , two of his majas , La maja vestida and La maja desnuda (the same model, clothed and nude respectively), would gain international renown. The outfit of the maja would influence the costume of
975-497: Is less than 421 mm (16.6 inches) on the center and around 371 mm (14.6 inches) on airport on eastern half of the city. Madrid is the European capital with the least annual precipitation, as well as the only with a semi-arid climate Average relative humidity is 57%, ranging from 38% in July to 74% in December. Snowfalls are occasional, happening only a few days per year. In January 1941 8 snow days were recorded,
1050-765: Is located on the hills next to the left bank of the Manzanares River. The city grew to the east, reaching the Fuente Castellana Creek [ es ] (now the Paseo de la Castellana ), and further east reaching the Abroñigal Creek [ es ] (now the M-30 ). The city also grew through the annexation of neighbouring urban settlements, including those to the South West on
1125-466: Is not as risky as almost the entire continent, except the afternoons of the warmer months, where exposure should be reduced. The amount varies from 2 between November and January to 9 between June and July. Madrid has on average only 63 precipitation days a year, therein average several rainy days per month (≥ 1 mm), ranging from 2 days in July and August to 8 days in May. The average annual precipitation
1200-532: The 1960s Spanish economic boom , while the south-eastern periphery became a large working-class area, which formed the base for active cultural and political movements. After the fall of the Francoist regime, the new 1978 constitution confirmed Madrid as the capital of Spain. The 1979 municipal election brought Madrid's first democratically elected mayor since the Second Republic to power. Madrid
1275-613: The Instituto Cervantes and the Foundation of Urgent Spanish ( Fundéu RAE). Madrid organises fairs such as FITUR, ARCO, SIMO TCI and the Madrid Fashion Week . Madrid is home to two world-famous football clubs, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid . While Madrid possesses modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include
1350-711: The Plaza Mayor , the Royal Palace of Madrid ; the Royal Theatre with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro Park , founded in 1631; the 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; many national museums, and the Golden Triangle of Art , located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum ,
1425-610: The Reina Sofía Museum , a museum of modern art , and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum , which complements the holdings of the other two museums. The mayor is José Luis Martínez-Almeida from the People's Party . The origin of the name is unknown. There are various theories regarding the origin of the toponym "Madrid" (all of them with problems when it comes to fully explaining the phonetic evolution of
1500-482: The bullfighter , who took the place of the majo . Some of the 20th-century depictions of the maja became somewhat assimilated into the flamenco dancer ( la bailaora ). Nowadays, the increasing popularity of the maja has ended up eclipsing that of the majo . The image of a maja was the trademark of the Jabón Maja Myrurgia soap , one of the classical souvenirs from Spain. The brand's portrait of
1575-575: The gentrification and the spike of tourist apartments in the city centre) and the profusion of betting shops in working-class areas, leading to an "epidemic" of gambling among young people. Madrid lies in the centre of the Iberian peninsula on the southern Meseta Central , 60 km south of the Guadarrama mountain range and straddling the Jarama and Manzanares river sub-drainage basins, in
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#17327800318291650-399: The maja in the soap boxes and wrappings was based on the person of Carmen Tórtola Valencia (1882–1955), a famous Spanish dancer of the early 20th century. Madrid Madrid ( / m ə ˈ d r ɪ d / mə- DRID ; Spanish: [maˈðɾið] ) is the capital and most populous municipality of Spain . It has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and
1725-536: The revolt of the Comuneros , led by Juan Lopez de Padilla , Madrid joined the revolt against Charles, Holy Roman Emperor , but after defeat at the Battle of Villalar , Madrid was besieged and occupied by the imperial troops. The city was however granted the titles of Coronada (Crowned) and Imperial . The number of urban inhabitants grew from 4,060 in the year 1530 to 37,500 in the year 1594. The poor population of
1800-644: The 10 m (108 sq ft) per inhabitant recommended by the World Health Organization. A great bulk of the most important parks in Madrid are related to areas originally belonging to the royal assets (including El Pardo, Soto de Viñuelas, Casa de Campo, El Buen Retiro, la Florida and the Príncipe Pío hill , and the Queen's Casino). The other main source for the "green" areas are the bienes de propios [ es ] owned by
1875-577: The Bourbon army on 4 August 1706. The Habsburg army led by the Archduke Charles entered the city for a second time [ es ] in September 1710, leaving the city less than three months after. Philip V entered the capital on 3 December 1710. Seeking to take advantage of the Madrid's location at the geographic centre of Spain, the 18th century saw a sustained effort to create
1950-687: The City Council. They were the main infrastructure for the supply of water until the arrival of the Canal de Isabel II in the mid-19th century. Madrid derives almost 73.5 percent of its water supply from dams and reservoirs built on the Lozoya River , such as the El Atazar Dam . This water supply is managed by the Canal de Isabel II, a public entity created in 1851. It is responsible for
2025-509: The Madrid population temporarily plummeted accordingly). Being the capital was decisive for the evolution of the city and influenced its fate and during the rest of the reign of Philip II, the population boomed, going up from about 18,000 in 1561 to 80,000 in 1598. During the early 17th century, although Madrid recovered from the loss of the capital status, with the return of diplomats, lords and affluent people, as well as an entourage of noted writers and artists together with them, extreme poverty
2100-686: The Manzanares. Other large forested areas include the Soto de Viñuelas , the Dehesa de Valdelatas [ es ] and the Dehesa de la Villa [ es ] . As of 2015, the most recent big park in the municipality is the Valdebebas Park. Covering a total area of 4.7 km (1.8 sq mi), it is sub-divided in a 3.4 km (1.3 sq mi) forest park (the Parque forestal de Valdebebas-Felipe VI [ es ] ),
2175-584: The Royal Palace. Further west, across the Manzanares, lies the Casa de Campo , a large forested area with more than 1700 hectares (6.6 sq mi) where the Madrid Zoo , and the Parque de Atracciones de Madrid amusement park are located. It was ceded to the municipality following the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931. The Monte de El Pardo is the largest forested area in
2250-574: The Siegmund/Frankenberg climate classification, Madrid has a subtropical climate. Madrid has hot summers and relatively cool winters with somewhat frequent frosts (15 days have lows under 0 °C (32 °F) on average) and occasional snowfalls, with 3-4 snowy days on average. Late Spring , in the months of May and June , is witness to the peak of pollinization of Gramineae , the main culprit behind rhinitis and bronchial asthma in Madrid. Years with high concentrations have proven
2325-427: The aegis of a wider coordinated urban planning. Madrid grew through the annexation of neighboring municipalities, achieving the present extent of 607 km (234.36 sq mi). The south of Madrid became heavily industrialized, and there was significant immigration from rural areas of Spain. Madrid's newly built north-western districts became the home of a newly enriched middle class that appeared as result of
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2400-661: The agricultural and less repopulated town of Madrid. After the decline of Sepúlveda , another concejo north of the mountain range, Segovia had become a major actor south of the Guadarrama mountains, expanding across the Lozoya and Manzanares rivers to the north of Madrid and along the Guadarrama river course to its west. In 1309, the Courts of Castile convened at Madrid for the first time under Ferdinand IV , and later in 1329, 1339, 1391, 1393, 1419 and twice in 1435. During
2475-554: The average maximum temperature during the day at 35.5 °C (95.9 °F). The coldest temperature recorded was −10.1 °C (13.8 °F) at night on 16 January 1945. Madrid, as well as the rest of Spain (except the Canary Islands), are in the UTC +1 time zone and UTC +2 in summer time. Sunrise and sunset occur relatively late compared to other countries in southern Europe or even slightly higher latitudes. Madrid enjoys one of
2550-428: The city by 1956). A transitional planning intended to temporarily replace the shanty towns were the poblados de absorción , introduced since the mid-1950s in locations such as Canillas , San Fermín , Caño Roto, Villaverde , Pan Bendito [ es ] , Zofío and Fuencarral , aiming to work as a sort of "high-end" shacks (with the destinataries participating in the construction of their own housing) but under
2625-621: The city in May 1931 worsened the political environment. However, the 1934 insurrection largely failed in the city. Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). It was a stronghold of the Republican faction from July 1936 and became an international symbol of anti-fascist struggle during the conflict. The city suffered aerial bombing, and in November 1936, its western suburbs were
2700-521: The city proliferated. The following administrations, also conservative, led by Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón and Ana Botella launched three unsuccessful bids for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics. By 2005, Madrid was the leading European destination for migrants from developing countries , as well as the largest employer of non-European workforce in Spain. Madrid was a centre of the anti-austerity protests that erupted in Spain in 2011. As consequence of
2775-441: The city's history as the capital of formerly imperial Spain. The intense demographic growth experienced by the city via mass immigration from the rural areas of the country led to the construction of abundant housing in the peripheral areas of the city to absorb the new population (reinforcing the processes of social polarization of the city), initially comprising substandard housing (with as many as 50,000 shacks scattered around
2850-430: The city. Precipitation is typically concentrated in the autumn, winter, and spring. It is particularly sparse during the summer, taking the form of about two showers and/or thunderstorms during the season. Madrid is the european capital with the least amount of annual precipitation. At the metropolitan scale, Madrid features both substantial daytime urban cool island and nighttime urban heat island effects during
2925-531: The conquest, Christians occupied the center of the city, while Muslims and Jews were displaced to the suburbs. Madrid, located near Alcalá (under Muslim control until 1118), remained a borderland for a while, suffering a number of razzias during the Almoravid period, and its walls were destroyed in 1110. The city was confirmed as villa de realengo [ es ] (linked to the Crown) in 1123, during
3000-608: The continent, sunshine duration varies from about 2,000 to about 3,000 hours per year. However, this is 70% larger value than in northern half of Europe, where sunshine duration is around 1500 hours per year. In winter Madrid has about three times more sun duration than in the northern half of Europe. Madrid has the second highest UV value among continental European capitals after Athens and Lisbon . The values are close to that of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania as ultraviolet radiation suffers little interference from other geographic variables. Although values are still average, which
3075-473: The court was composed of ex-soldiers, foreigners, rogues and Ruanes, dissatisfied with the lack of food and high prices. In June 1561 Phillip II set his court in Madrid, installing it in the old alcázar . Thanks to this, the city of Madrid became the political centre of the monarchy, being the capital of Spain except for a short period between 1601 and 1606, in which the Court was relocated to Valladolid (and
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3150-574: The environmental value. During the reign of Ferdinand VII the regime of hunting prohibition for the Monte de El Pardo became one of full property and the expropriation of all possessions within its bounds was enforced, with dire consequences for the madrilenians at the time. It is designated as Special Protection Area for bird-life and it is also part of the Regional Park of the High Basin of
3225-407: The eponymous protagonist of Georges Bizet 's French opera Carmen in the mid-19th century. In the 20th century, with the popularization of Spain as a tourist destination, the manola or maja , often holding a folding fan , increasingly gained recognition as the image of a stereotypical traditional Spanish woman. Thus the maja became one of the popular and informal symbols of Spain, along with
3300-533: The existence of an established settlement in Madrid dates from the Muslim age. In the second half of the 9th century, Umayyad Emir Muhammad I built a fortress on a headland near the river Manzanares as one of the many fortresses he ordered to be built on the border between Al-Andalus and the kingdoms of León and Castile , with the objective of protecting Toledo from the Christian reconquests and also as
3375-631: The favorite subjects of some 19th-century Spanish painters. The majos and majas outfits were exaggerations of traditional Spanish dress. The style stood in strong contrast to the French styles affected by many of the Spanish elite under the influence of the Enlightenment . Majos were known to pick fights with those they saw as afrancesados ("Frenchified" – fops ). In Spanish, the word possesses derived forms such as chulapo and chulapa ,
3450-430: The frequent heat waves. Due to Madrid's altitude and dry climate, humidity is low and diurnal ranges are often significant, particularly on sunny winter days when the temperature rises in the afternoon before rapidly plummeting after nightfall. Madrid is among the sunniest capital cities in Europe. The highest recorded temperature was on 14 August 2021, with 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) and the lowest recorded temperature
3525-911: The headquarters of the UN 's World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), and the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB). It also hosts major international regulators and promoters of the Spanish language: the Standing Committee of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, headquarters of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE),
3600-453: The homes of the influx of workers, while Ensanche became a middle-class neighbourhood of Madrid. The Spanish Constitution of 1931 was the first to legislate the location of the country's capital, setting it explicitly in Madrid. During the 1930s, Madrid enjoyed "great vitality"; it was demographically young, becoming urbanized and the centre of new political movements. During this time, major construction projects were undertaken, including
3675-442: The latter's confluence with the Fuente Castellana thalweg in the south of the city. The Monte de El Pardo (a protected forested area covering over a quarter of the municipality) reaches its top altitude (843 m (2,766 ft)) on its perimeter, in the slopes surrounding El Pardo reservoir [ es ] located at the north-western end of the municipality, in the Fuencarral-El Pardo district. The oldest urban core
3750-528: The moderating effect of the sea. While mostly sunny, rain, sporadic snowfalls and frequent frosts can occur between December and February with cooler temperatures particularly during the night and mornings as cold winds blow into the city from surrounding mountains. Summers are hot and sunny, in the warmest month, July, average temperatures during the day range from 32 to 34 °C (90 to 93 °F) depending on location, with maxima commonly climbing over 35 °C (95 °F) and occasionally up to 40 °C during
3825-545: The most for any month. From 7 January to 10 January 2021 , Madrid received the most snow in its recorded history; Spain's meteorological agency AEMET reported between 50 and 60 centimetres (20 and 24 in) of accumulated snow at its weather stations within the city. The highest temperature recorded during the day at the Retiro station is 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) on both 28 June 2019, 14 August 2021, and 14 July 2022. Higher maximum temperatures have been recorded in other stations. The August 1933 reported record had
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#17327800318293900-418: The most optimal number of hours of daylight in Europe. Days in winter are not as short as in the northern part of the continent, the average hours of daylight in December, January and February is 10 hours (for comparison: London or Moscow or Warsaw - about 8 hours), and it is the European capital with the latest sunsets during winter. During the summer, the days have an average length of 14 hours, being
3975-403: The municipality (including the Dehesa de la Villa, the Dehesa de Arganzuela or Viveros). El Retiro is the most visited location of the city. Having an area bigger than 1.4 km (0.5 sq mi) (350 acres), it is the largest park within the Almendra Central , the inner part of the city enclosed by the M-30. Created during the reign of Philip IV (17th century), it was handed over to
4050-407: The municipality in 1868, after the Glorious Revolution. It lies next to the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid . Located northwest of the city centre, the Parque del Oeste ("Park of the West") comprises part of the area of the former royal possession of the "Real Florida", and it features a slope as the height decreases down to the Manzanares. Its southern extension includes the Temple of Debod ,
4125-404: The municipality. A holm oak forest covering a surface over 16,000 hectares, it is considered the best preserved mediterranean forest in the Community of Madrid and one of the best preserved in Europe. Already mentioned in the Alfonso XI 's Libro de la montería [ es ] from the mid-14th century, its condition as hunting location linked to the Spanish monarchy help to preserve
4200-413: The northern extension of the Paseo de la Castellana , one of Madrid's major thoroughfares. The tertiary sector, including banking, insurance and telephone services, grew greatly. Illiteracy rates were down to below 20%, and the city's cultural life grew notably during the so-called Silver Age of Spanish Culture; the sales of newspapers also increased. Conversely, the proclamation of the Republic created
4275-618: The only noticeable bourgeois elements in Madrid (that experienced a delay in its industrial development up to that point) were merchants. The University of Alcalá de Henares was relocated to Madrid in 1836, becoming the Central University . The economy of the city further modernized during the second half of the 19th century, consolidating its status as a service and financial centre. New industries were mostly focused in book publishing, construction and low-tech sectors. The introduction of railway transport greatly helped Madrid's economic prowess, and led to changes in consumption patterns (such as
4350-449: The reign of Alfonso VII . The 1123 Charter of Otorgamiento established the first explicit limits between Madrid and Segovia, namely the Puerto de El Berrueco and the Puerto de Lozoya. Beginning in 1188, Madrid had the right to be a city with representation in the courts of Castile. In 1202, Alfonso VIII gave Madrid its first charter to regulate the municipal council, which was expanded in 1222 by Ferdinand III . The government system of
4425-437: The rest of the country, a heroin crisis took a toll in the poor neighborhoods of Madrid in the 1980s. Benefiting from increasing prosperity in the 1980s and 1990s, the capital city of Spain consolidated its position as an important economic, cultural, industrial, educational, and technological centre on the European continent. During the mandate as Mayor of José María Álvarez del Manzano construction of traffic tunnels below
4500-419: The right bank of the Manzanares. Madrid has the second highest number of aligned trees in the world, with 248,000 units, only exceeded by Tokyo. Madrid's citizens have access to a green area within a 15-minute walk. Since 1997, green areas have increased by 16%. At present, 8.2% of Madrid's grounds are green areas, meaning that there are 16 m (172 sq ft) of green area per inhabitant, far exceeding
4575-490: The scene of an all-out battle. The city fell to the Francoists in March 1939. A staple of post-war Madrid ( Madrid de la posguerra ) was the widespread use of ration coupons . Meat and fish consumption was scarce, resulting in high mortality due to malnutrition. Due to Madrid's history as a left-wing stronghold, the right-wing victors considered moving the capital elsewhere (most notably to Seville ), but such plans were never implemented. The Franco regime instead emphasized
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#17327800318294650-440: The spillover of the 2008 financial and mortgage crisis , Madrid has been affected by the increasing number of second-hand homes held by banks and house evictions . The mandate of left-wing Mayor Manuela Carmena (2015–2019) delivered the renaturalization of the course of the Manzanares across the city. Since the late 2010s, the challenges the city faces include the increasingly unaffordable rental prices (often in parallel with
4725-423: The substitution of salted fish for fresh fish from the Spanish coasts) as well as further strengthening the city's role as a logistics node in the country's distribution network. Electric lighting in the streets was introduced in the 1890s. During the first third of the 20th century the population nearly doubled, reaching more than 850,000 inhabitants. New suburbs such as Las Ventas, Tetuán and El Carmen became
4800-509: The summer season in relation to its surroundings, which feature thinly vegetated dry land. In the 17th century, the viajes de agua (a kind of water channel or qanat ) were used to provide water to the city. Some of the most important ones were the Viaje de Amaniel [ es ] (1610–1621, sponsored by the Crown), the Viaje de Fuente Castellana [ es ] (1613–1620) and Abroñigal Alto [ es ] / Abroñigal Bajo [ es ] (1617–1630), sponsored by
4875-414: The supply, depurating waste water and the conservation of all the natural water resources of the Madrid region. The population of Madrid has overall increased since the city became the capital of Spain in the mid-sixteenth century, and has stabilised at approximately 3,000,000 since the 1970s. From 1970 until the mid-1990s, the population dropped. This phenomenon, which also affected other European cities,
4950-409: The surrounding autonomous community of Madrid (since 1983), it is also the political, economic, and cultural centre of the country. The climate of Madrid features hot summers and cool winters. The primitive core of Madrid, a walled military outpost, dates back to the late 9th century, under the Emirate of Córdoba . Conquered by Christians in 1083 or 1085, it consolidated in the Late Middle Ages as
5025-512: The toponym), namely: Nicknames for Madrid include the plural Los Madriles and La Villa y Corte ( lit. ' the town and court ' ). The site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times, and there are archaeological remains of the Celtic Carpetani settlement, Roman villas , a Visigoth basilica near the church of Santa María de la Almudena and three Visigoth necropolises near Casa de Campo, Tetuán and Vicálvaro. The first historical document about
5100-440: The town was changed to a regimiento of 12 regidores by Alfonso XI on 6 January 1346. Starting in the mid-13th century and up to the late 14th century, the concejo of Madrid vied for the control of the Real de Manzanares territory against the concejo of Segovia , a powerful town north of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range, characterised by its repopulating prowess and its husbandry-based economy, contrasted with
5175-429: The wider Tagus River catchment area. With an average altitude of 650 m (2,130 ft), Madrid is the second highest capital of Europe (after Andorra la Vella ). The difference in altitude within the city proper ranges from the 700 m (2,297 ft) around Plaza de Castilla in the north of city to the 570 m (1,870 ft) around La China wastewater treatment plant on the Manzanares' riverbanks, near
5250-433: The world's major global cities . Madrid is considered the major financial centre and the leading economic hub of the Iberian Peninsula and of Southern Europe . The metropolitan area hosts major Spanish companies such as Telefónica , Iberia , BBVA and FCC . It concentrates the bulk of banking operations in the country and it is the Spanish-speaking city generating the largest number of webpages. Madrid houses
5325-482: Was becoming more and more tense. On 2 May, a crowd began to gather near the Royal Palace protesting against the French attempt to evict the remaining members of the Bourbon royal family to Bayonne , prompting up an uprising against the French Imperial troops that lasted hours and spread throughout the city, including a famous last stand at the Monteleón barracks. Subsequent repression was brutal, with many insurgent Spaniards being summarily executed . The uprising led to
5400-563: Was caused in part by the growth of satellite suburbs at the expense of the downtown region within the city proper. Climate of Madrid Madrid and its metropolitan area has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification : BSk ) which transitions to a mediterranean climate ( Csa ) on the western half of the city. According to the Troll-Paffen climate classification, Madrid has warm-temperate subtropical climate ( Warmgemäßigt-subtropisches Zonenklima ) and according to
5475-520: Was however rampant. The century also was a time of heyday for theatre, represented in the so-called corrales de comedias . The city changed hands several times during the War of the Spanish Succession : from the Bourbon control it passed to the allied "Austracist" army with Portuguese and English presence that entered the city in late June 1706 [ es ] , only to be retaken by
5550-542: Was on 16 January 1945 with −10.1 °C (13.8 °F) in Madrid. While at the airport, in the eastern side of the city, the highest recorded temperature was on 24 July 1995, at 42.2 °C (108.0 °F), and the lowest recorded temperature was on 16 January 1945 at −15.3 °C (4.5 °F). From 7 to 9 January 2021 , Madrid received the most snow in its recorded history since 1904; Spain's meteorological agency AEMET reported between 50 and 60 cm (20 and 24 in) of accumulated snow in its weather stations within
5625-430: Was the scene of some of the most important events of the time, such as the mass demonstrations of support for democracy after the failed coup, 23-F , on 23 February 1981. The first democratic mayors belonged to the centre-left PSOE ( Enrique Tierno Galván , Juan Barranco Gallardo ). Since the late 1970s and through the 1980s Madrid became the center of the cultural movement known as la Movida . Conversely, just like in
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