History
Founded as a Muslim garrison town in the 9th century and a squalid settlement for centuries thereafter, Madrid suddenly took centre stage in 1561 when it was unexpectedly chosen as Spain’s capital. As the centre of a global empire on which the sun never set and as the seat of the Spanish royal court, Madrid was, at a stroke of the royal pen, transformed from a cultural backwater into the most important city in Spain. In the centuries that followed, the city grew into its role as capital, accumulating prestige, people from all across Spain and beyond, and the trappings of power and wealth. The end result is the most Spanish of all Spain’s major cities.
Madrid
Things to do
- Entertainment (38)
- Restaurants (2)
- Shopping (13)
- Sights (10)
- Hotels & hostels
