When did Madrid become capital of Spain?
1464190#1
When the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the seat of the Church in Spain remained in Toledo and the new capital had no cathedral. Plans to build a cathedral in Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena were discussed as early as the 16th century but even though Spain built more than 40 cities in the new world during that century and plenty of cathedrals, the cost of expanding and keeping the Empire came first and the construction of Madrid's cathedral was postponed. Making the cathedral the largest that the world had ever seen was then a priority, all other main Spanish cities had centuries old cathedrals, Madrid also has old churches but the construction of Almudena only began in 1879.
Almudena Cathedral
31360#41
Charles I of Spain's court was set in Toledo, serving as the imperial capital. In 1560, Toledo reached a population of 60,000, being the 3rd city of the Crown of Castile. However, in 1561, in the first years of his son Philip II of Spain's reign, the Spanish court was moved to Madrid, thus letting the city's importance dwindle until the late 20th century, when it became the capital of the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. Nevertheless, the economic decline of the city helped to preserve its cultural and architectural heritage. Today, because of this rich heritage, Toledo is one of Spain's foremost cities, receiving thousands of visitors yearly.
Toledo, Spain
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The museum's permanent collection demonstrates the history of Madrid from 1561 when Madrid became the capital of Spain to the beginning of the twentieth century.
Museo de Historia de Madrid
25425727#2
After Philip II made Madrid the capital city of the Spanish Empire in 1561, the city experienced rapid growth. As Spain (like many other European countries) continued to centralize royal authority, particularly under the Bourbon monarchs, Madrid took on greater importance as a center of administration for Spain. It was sometimes described as an "economic parasite", sucking in the resources of the empire without directly generating wealth.
Economy of Madrid
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Unlike many of the other cities in Spain and elsewhere in Europe, Madrid did not become a leading center of industry during the nineteenth century. Construction remained one of the principal forms of economic activity: when the first rail link was built, to Aranjuez, it was mainly used for bringing in timber for construction, as there was little industrial plant needing a supply of other materials. One indicator of Madrid’s industrial weakness was how little the workers’ movement developed there, its center of gravity remaining in Barcelona. The founding of the PSOE socialist party and the UGT trade union in Madrid were led by Pablo Iglesias, a printing worker: publishing was another of the long-standing forms of enterprise in the capital.
Economy of Madrid
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Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities of Spain in the Civil War (1936–1939). The city was a stronghold of the Republicans from July 1936. Its western suburbs were the scene of an all-out battle in November 1936 and during the Civil War the city was also bombed by aeroplanes. (See Siege of Madrid (1936–39)).
During the economic boom in Spain from 1959 to 1973, the city experienced unprecedented, extraordinary development in terms of population and wealth, becoming the largest GDP city in Spain, and ranking third in Western Europe. The municipality was extended, annexing neighbouring council districts, to achieve the present extension of . The south of Madrid became very industrialised, and there were massive migrations from rural areas of Spain into the city. Madrid's newly built north-western districts became the home of the new thriving middle class that appeared as result of the 1960s Spanish economic boom, while the south-eastern periphery became an extensive working-class settlement, which was the base for an active cultural and political reform.
After the death of Franco and the start of the democratic regime, the 1978 constitution confirmed Madrid as the capital of Spain. In 1979, the first municipal elections brought Madrid's first democratically elected mayor since the Second Republic. Madrid 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 leftist PSOE (Enrique Tierno Galván, Juan Barranco Gallardo), turning the city after more conservative positions (Agustín Rodríguez Sahagún, José María Álvarez del Manzano, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón and Ana Botella). Benefiting from increasing prosperity in the 1980s and 1990s, the capital city of Spain has consolidated its position as an important economic, cultural, industrial, educational, and technological centre on the European continent.
Madrid
4540043#0
"Te Dejo Madrid" (English: "I Leave You Madrid") is a song recorded by Colombian singer Shakira for her fifth studio album, "Laundry Service" (2001). It was written by the singer about the city of Madrid, the capital of Spain. The music video for it featured the singer as a bullfighter. Although it was released as the fifth single from the album in several European countries in 2002, it was not released in the United States. "Te Dejo Madrid" was very successful in Italy and Spain, but the song did not repeat its success in Latin America, as it reached a peak position of forty-five in "Billboard"'s Hot Latin Tracks.
Te Dejo Madrid
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The Community of Madrid (; ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, and of the Castilian Central Plateau ("Meseta Central"). Its capital is the city of Madrid, which is also the capital of the country. The Community of Madrid is bounded to the south and east by Castilla–La Mancha and to the north and west by Castile and León. It was formally created in 1983, based on the limits of the province of Madrid, which was until then conventionally included in the historical region of New Castile.
Community of Madrid
124112#1
Madrid was platted in 1887 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was named after Madrid, the capital of Spain.
Madrid, Nebraska
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Madrid is the capital of the Kingdom of Spain. The King of Spain, whose functions are mainly ceremonial, has their official residence in the Zarzuela Palace. As the seat of the Government of Spain, Madrid also houses the official residence of the President of the Government (Prime Minister) and regular meeting place of the Council of Ministers, the Moncloa Palace, as well as the headquarters of the ministerial departments. Both the residences of the Head of State and Government are located at the northwest of the city. Additionally, the seats of the Lower and Upper Chambers of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales (respectively, the Palacio de las Cortes and the Palacio del Senado), also lie on Madrid.
The Madrid metropolitan area comprises the city of Madrid and forty surrounding municipalities. It has a population of slightly more than 6.271 million people and covers an area of . It is the largest metropolitan area in Spain and the third largest in the European Union.
Madrid