Madrid

Madrid

ES
Population3,332,035
Madrid ( mə-DRID; Spanish: [maˈðɾið] ) is the capital and most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and 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 km2 (233.3 sq mi) geographical area. Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula at about 650 m (2,130 ft) above mean sea level. The capital city of both Spain and the surrounding autonomous community of Madrid (since 1983), it is also the political, economic, and cultural centre of the country. 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 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 following centuries were characterized by the reinforcement of Madrid's status within the framework of a centralized form of state-building. The Madrid urban agglomeration has the second-largest GDP in the European Union. Madrid is ranked as an alpha world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. 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 the headquarters of the UN Tourism, the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), and the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB). Pursuant to the standardizing role of the Royal Spanish Academy, Madrid is a centre for Spanish linguistic prescriptivism. Madrid organises fairs such as FITUR, ARCO, SIMO TCI and the Madrid Fashion Week. Madrid is home to football clubs Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Its landmarks include 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, 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.

Places to Explore

Curated experiences in Madrid

Museo del Romanticismo

Museo del Romanticismo

The Museum of Romanticism (Spanish: Museo del Romanticismo) is an art museum in Madrid, Spain, devoted to Romanticism. It was …

Puente Monumental Parque Arganzuela

Puente Monumental Parque Arganzuela

The Arganzuela Footbridge (Spanish: puente or pasarela de Arganzuela, formally puente monumental de Arganzuela, also puente de Perrault) is a …

Galería de las Colecciones Reales

Galería de las Colecciones Reales

The Royal Collections Gallery (Spanish: Galería de las Colecciones Reales), originally named the Royal Collections Museum, is an art museum …

Panteón de España

Panteón de España

The Pantheon of Illustrious Men (Spanish: Panteón de Hombres Ilustres) is a royal site in Madrid, under the administration of …

Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez

Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez

Planetario de Madrid

Planetario de Madrid

The Madrid Planetarium (Spanish: Planetario de Madrid) is a facility in Madrid, Spain, which was inaugurated in 1986. The equipment …

Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas

Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas

The National Museum of Decorative Arts (Spanish: Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas; originally, National Museum of Industrial Arts) is a …

Estación de Atocha

Estación de Atocha

Madrid Atocha (Spanish: Estación de Madrid Atocha), also named Madrid Puerta de Atocha–Almudena Grandes, is the oldest major railway station …

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales

The National Museum of Natural Sciences (Spanish: Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales) is a natural history museum in Madrid, Spain. …

Fundación Mapfre - Sala de exposiciones Recoletos

Fundación Mapfre - Sala de exposiciones Recoletos

Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales

Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales

The Convent of Las Descalzas Reales (Spanish: Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales) is a royal monastery situated in Madrid, Spain, …

Edificio Metrópolis

Edificio Metrópolis

The Metropolis Building or Edificio Metrópolis (Spanish) is an office building in Madrid, Spain, at the corner of the Calle …

Museo Cerralbo

Museo Cerralbo

The Cerralbo Museum (Spanish: Museo Cerralbo) is an art museum in Madrid, Spain. It houses the art and historical object …

Museo Nacional de Antropología

Museo Nacional de Antropología

The National Museum of Anthropology (Spanish: Museo Nacional de Antropología) is an anthropology museum in Madrid, Spain. It is considered …

Palacio de Biblioteca y Museos Nacionales

Palacio de Biblioteca y Museos Nacionales

Casa de la Carnicería

Casa de la Carnicería

Convento de las Trinitarias Descalzas

Convento de las Trinitarias Descalzas

The Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarians (Spanish: Convento de las Monjas Trinitarias Descalzas) is a convent located in Madrid, Spain. …

Real Monasterio de la Encarnación

Real Monasterio de la Encarnación

The Real Monasterio de la Encarnación (Royal Monastery of the Incarnation) is a convent of the order of Recollet Augustines …

Museo del Traje

Museo del Traje

The Museum of Garment - Ethnologic Heritage Research Center (Spanish: Museo del Traje - Centro de Investigación del Patrimonio Etnológico) …

Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando

Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando

The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (RABASF; transl. 'Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando'), located …

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