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City guide · Madrid
Madrid
A capital built by the crown: the museums of the Paseo del Prado, the Plaza Mayor and late nights in the old town
Madrid is the capital of Spain, a city with no ancient Roman metropolis beneath it, raised instead by royal power. As you walk from the Puerta del Sol to the Plaza Mayor and then along the Paseo del Prado to Retiro Park, you will see the old town of the Habsburg era, the boulevards and museums of the Bourbon era, and the Royal Palace still in use today. Madrid runs late: lunch is late, and dinner is even later, and the old town stays lively at night. Also worth visiting in the city: Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace of Madrid, Museo Reina Sofía, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Retiro Park, Crystal Palace, Plaza de Cibeles, Gran Vía, Almudena Cathedral, Mercado de San Miguel, Museum of the History of Madrid, Plaza de España and Temple of Debod.
History
How the city came to be
The history of Madrid can be traced back to prehistoric times, with Celtiberian tribes, a Roman road station, and a Visigothic settlement appearing here in turn. In the mid-9th century, Muhammad I, Emir of Córdoba, built a fortress on the site of today's Royal Palace, and a Muslim quarter formed within the city, making Madrid an Islamic city. Alfonso VI conquered the city in 1083 (1085 according to another account; uncertain), and in 1202 Madrid received its municipal charter. In 1561, Philip II moved the court to Madrid, and the city expanded rapidly from then on. The Habsburg era of the 16th to 17th centuries left the old town around the Plaza Mayor, while the Bourbon era from the 18th century onward left the Royal Palace, the Paseo del Prado, and many museums. The Paseo del Prado and Retiro Park area (the Landscape of Light) was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021.
- Prehistoric to Roman periodhuman activity already existed between the Jarama and Manzanares rivers, and in Roman times the site served as a station on the road network.
- Mid-9th centuryMuhammad I builds a fortress, and Madrid becomes an Islamic city.
- 1083 (1085 according to another account; uncertain)Alfonso VI conquers Madrid.
- 1202Madrid receives its municipal charter.
- 1561Philip II moves the court to Madrid, making it the capital of Spain.
- 16th to 17th centuriesthe Habsburg period, when the area around the Plaza Mayor (Madrid de los Austrias) takes shape; the Plaza Mayor is completed in 1620.
- From the 18th century onwardthe Bourbon period, when the Royal Palace, the Museo del Prado, and other landmarks appear in turn.
- 2021the Paseo del Prado and Retiro Park area (the Landscape of Light) is inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Stories
Stories of the city
Evacuating the masterpieces during the Civil War
History · Museo del Prado
During the Spanish Civil War, to protect the collection, the museum moved more than 300 paintings, more than 160 drawings and the Dauphin's Treasure first to Valencia and Girona, and finally to Geneva. After the Civil War ended, as the Second World War broke out, the works were brought back to Spain by night trains across France, and the masterpieces were saved.
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Trips beyond the city
These places can be explored from this city but lie outside it. See each place for transport and visiting guidance.
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Segovia
The Roman aqueduct, built of granite without mortar, strides across the Plaza del Azoguejo and still stands nearly two thousand years later; the…
Toledo
A hill city wrapped by a bend of the Tagus, where Spain's Primate Cathedral, the Alcázar, synagogues and El Greco's masterpiece share one old to…
