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According
to Arab chroniclers, it was in AD 852 that the Emir of Córdoba, Mohamed I (AD
852-886), ordered a fortress to be built on the left bank of the Manzanares
River, the geographical centre of the Iberian Peninsula. He named the
settlement ‘Mayrit' (‘source of water') and in it laid the seeds of the city
now known as Madrid. Traces of this flourishing Moorish town survive to this
day, in a section of muralla Arabe (town wall) near the Royal Palace, as well
as in the mudéjar architectural style of Madrid's oldest church, San Nicolás de
las Servitas.
Mayrit
(or Magerit) was situated in a strategically important location and Christians
and Arabs fought bitterly over the territory until late in the 11th century,
when Alfonso VI finally settled matters by capturing the Alcázar (castle) after
a three-year siege. However, it would be another 500 years before Philip II
took the historic decision, in 1561, to move his capital from Valladolid to
Madrid. Today, Madrid remains Spain's financial and political core, home to the
Cortes (Parliament), Senate and Royal Family, as well as the extraordinary
cultural riches of the Golden Triangle - the Prado, Reina Sofía and
Thyssen-Bornemisza art museums.
With
a population of just over three million, Madrid is Europe's third largest city
(after London and Berlin) and its highest capital, at 650m (2,132ft) above sea
level. The repression and torpor of the Franco era (1939-75) are now all but
forgotten by Madrileños who, perhaps more than any other Spaniards, are
determined to vivir a tope (live life to the full). The craving for conspicuous
enjoyment, not to mention the 2,800 hours of annual sunshine, turn the streets into
bustling centres of public display. Madrid's infectious and colourful fiestas
punctuate the year, with each barrio (district) trying to outdo the other in
its celebrations. The highlights include Reyes Magos (Feast of the Three
Kings), Carnival, the religious processions of Holy Week, the San Isidro
festival in May (the beginning of the bullfighting season) and Nochevieja (New
Year's Eve), when the Puerta del Sol becomes the focal point during several
hours of uninhibited partying. Visitors should also look out for the major
cultural festivals, notably the Veranos de la Villa in summer and the autumn
Festival de Otoño, embracing film, dance, theatre and music of every
de******ion. Although Madrid's climate is more extreme than other Spanish
locations, the warm dry summers and cool winters still allow for many alfresco
activities.
Although
anxious to appear ‘modern' in clothes, outlook and lifestyle, Madrileños remain
fiercely traditional, clinging to their customs more noticeably than their
cosmopolitan Barcelonese rivals do. Most choose to live at home until marriage,
divorce remains controversial (particularly in high society) and the family
surpasses everything.
While
the Comunidad de Madrid (Madrid Province) stretches over 8,000sq km (3,090sq
miles), the city's historic heart is easily explored on foot. The narrow,
labyrinthine streets of the medieval quarter contrast with the grand
boulevards, laid out in the 18th and 19th centuries - the period when Madrid
began to take on the trappings of a modern capital. Each barrio has its own
distinctive atmosphere - Lavapiés, Malasaña and Chueca being the oldest and
most interesting. Many visitors first get to know the central area, known as
the Madrid of the Austrias (a reference to the Hapsburg era), situated roughly
between the Palacio Real and the Puerta del Sol, Madrid's ‘mile zero'. It is
only a short walk from here to the city's main street, the Gran Vía, lined with
shops, banks, offices, bars and cinemas. Fashionable Madrid starts with the
Salamanca district and the boutiques of Calle Serrano, while the modern
business quarter extends along the north-south axis, known as the Paseo de la
Castellana. Distinguished by its skyscrapers and impressive office blocks, this
is where the multinationals have their headquarters. At the far (northern) end
of the Paseo de la Castellana are the ‘leaning towers' of the Puerta de Europa
(Gateway of Europe), a daring display of architecture symbolising the city's
confidence in its future.
Since
the 11 March 2004 terrorist attacks, where 191 people died after a series of
bombs exploded simultaneously on commuter trains heading toward the mainline
train station Atocha, the city has sobered up quite considerably and the
bombings produced a sense of unprecedented solidarity. Despite the brutality of
the attacks, it has been ‘business as usual' with no noticeable impact on the
economy.
The
best times to visit Madrid are between March-June and then during September and
October. July in Madrid must be avoided at all costs because it is when the
heat will be at its most extreme. August, still a very hot month, is when most
locals will take their holidays and the resulting exodus to the seaside resorts
leave Madrid rather empty. Although this means one avoids the crowds, it also
means that most shops and businesses will be shut for the entire month.
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