Madrid

Madrid(/məˈdrɪd/mə-DRID;Spanish:[maˈðɾið])is the capital andmost populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.4 millioninhabitants and ametropolitan areapopulation of approximately 7 million. It is thesecond-largest cityin theEuropean Union(EU), and itsmonocentricmetropolitan areais thesecond-largestin the EU.The municipality covers 604.3 km(233.3 sq mi) geographical area.Madrid lies on theRiver Manzanaresin the central part of theIberian Peninsulaat about 650 meters above mean sea level. The capital city of both Spain and the surroundingautonomous community of Madrid(since 1983),it is also the political, economic, and cultural centre of the country.Theclimate of Madridfeatures hot summers and cool winters. The primitive core of Madrid, a walled military outpost, dates back to the late 9th century, under theEmirate of Córdoba. Conquered by Christians in 1083 or 1085, it consolidated in the Late Middle Ages as a sizeable town of theCrown of Castile. The development of Madrid as administrative centre fostered after 1561, as it became the permanent seat of the court of theHispanic Monarchy.
The Madrid urban agglomeration has thefourth-largest GDPin theEuropean Unionand its influence inpolitics,education,entertainment,environment,media,fashion,science,culture, and theartsall contribute to its status as one of the world's majorglobal cities.Madrid is considered the major financial centreand the leading economic hub of the Iberian Peninsula and ofSouthern Europe.The metropolitan area hosts major Spanish companies such asTelefónica,Iberia,BBVAandFCC.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 theUN'sWorld Tourism Organization(UNWTO), theIbero-American General Secretariat(SEGIB), theOrganization of Ibero-American States(OEI), and thePublic Interest Oversight Board(PIOB). It also hosts major international regulators and promoters of the Spanish language: the Standing Committee of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, headquarters of theRoyal Spanish Academy(RAE), theInstituto Cervantesand the Foundation of Urgent Spanish (FundéuRAE). Madrid organises fairs such as FITUR,ARCO,SIMO TCIand theMadrid Fashion Week.Madrid is home to two world-famousfootballclubs,Real MadridandAtlético Madrid.
While Madrid possesses modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include thePlaza Mayor, theRoyal Palace of Madrid; theRoyal Theatrewith its restored 1850 Opera House; theBuen Retiro Park, founded in 1631; the 19th-centuryNational Librarybuilding (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; many national museums,and theGolden Triangle of Art, located along thePaseo del Pradoand comprising three art museums:Prado Museum, theReina Sofía Museum, a museum ofmodern art, and theThyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which complements the holdings of the other two museums.The mayor isJosé Luis Martínez-Almeidafrom thePeople's Party.
The origin of the name is unknown. There are various theories regarding the origin of the toponym "Madrid" (all of them with problems when it comes to fully explaining the phonetic evolution of the toponym), namely:
Nicknames for Madrid include the pluralLos MadrilesandLa Villa y Corte(lit.'the town andcourt').
The site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times,and there are archaeological remains of theCelticCarpetanisettlement,Roman villas,aVisigothbasilica near the church of Santa María de la Almudenaand three Visigoth necropolises near Casa de Campo, Tetuán and Vicálvaro.
The first historical document about the existence of an established settlement in Madrid dates from theMuslimage. In the second half of the 9th century,UmayyadEmirMuhammad Ibuilt a fortress on a headland near the riverManzanaresas one of the many fortresses he ordered to be built on the border betweenAl-Andalusand the kingdoms ofLeónandCastile, with the objective of protectingToledofrom Christian attacks from the North and also as a starting point for Muslim offensives. After the disintegration of theCaliphate of Córdobain the early 11th century, Madrid was integrated in theTaifa of Toledo.
In the context of the wider campaign for the conquest of the taifa of Toledo initiated in 1079, Madrid was seized in 1083 byAlfonso VI of León and Castile, who sought to use the town as an offensive outpost against the city of Toledo,in turn conquered in 1085. Following the conquest, Christians occupied the center of the city, while Muslims and Jews were displaced to the suburbs. Madrid, located nearAlcalá(under Muslim control until 1118), remained a borderland for a while, suffering a number ofrazziasduring theAlmoravidperiod, and its walls were destroyed in 1110.The city was confirmed asvilla derealengo[es](linked to the Crown) in 1123, during the reign ofAlfonso VII.The 1123 Charter of Otorgamiento established the first explicit limits between Madrid and Segovia, namely the Puerto de El Berrueco and the Puerto de Lozoya.Beginning in 1188, Madrid had the right to be a city with representation in the courts of Castile.In 1202,Alfonso VIIIgave Madrid its first charter to regulate the municipal council,which was expanded in 1222 byFerdinand III. The government system of the town was changed to aregimientoof 12regidoresbyAlfonso XIon 6 January 1346.
Starting in the mid-13th century and up to the late 14th century, theconcejoof Madrid vied for the control of the Real de Manzanares territory against theconcejoofSegovia, a powerful town north of theSierra de Guadarramamountain range, characterised by its repopulating prowess and its husbandry-based economy, contrasted with the agricultural and less repopulated town of Madrid.After the decline ofSepúlveda, anotherconcejonorth of the mountain range, Segovia had become a major actor south of the Guadarrama mountains, expanding across theLozoyaandManzanaresrivers to the north of Madrid and along theGuadarrama rivercourse to its west.
In 1309, the Courts of Castile convened at Madrid for the first time underFerdinand IV, and later in 1329, 1339, 1391, 1393, 1419 and twice in 1435.
During therevolt of the Comuneros, led byJuan Lopez de Padilla, Madrid joined the revolt againstCharles, Holy Roman Emperor, but after defeat at theBattle of Villalar, Madrid was besieged and occupied by the imperial troops. The city was however granted the titles ofCoronada(Crowned) andImperial.
The number of urban inhabitants grew from 4,060 in the year 1530 to 37,500 in the year 1594. The poor population of the court was composed of ex-soldiers, foreigners, rogues and Ruanes, dissatisfied with the lack of food and high prices. In June 1561Phillip IIset his court in Madrid, installing it in the oldalcázar.Thanks to this, the city of Madrid became the political centre of the monarchy, being the capital of Spain except for a short period between 1601 and 1606, in which the Court was relocated toValladolid(and the Madrid population temporarily plummeted accordingly). Being the capital was decisive for the evolution of the city and influenced its fate and during the rest of the reign of Philip II, the population boomed, going up from about 18,000 in 1561 to 80,000 in 1598.
During the early 17th century, although Madrid recovered from the loss of the capital status, with the return of diplomats, lords and affluent people, as well as an entourage of noted writers and artists together with them, extreme poverty was however rampant.The century also was a time of heyday for theatre, represented in the so-calledcorrales de comedias.
The city changed hands several times during theWar of the Spanish Succession: from the Bourbon control it passed to the allied "Austracist" army with Portuguese and English presence thatentered the city in late June 1706[es],only to be retaken by the Bourbon army on 4 August 1706.The Habsburg army led by theArchduke Charlesentered the city for a second time[es]in September 1710,leaving the city less than three months after.Philip Ventered the capital on 3 December 1710.
Seeking to take advantage of the Madrid's location at the geographic centre of Spain, the 18th century saw a sustained effort to create a radial system of communications and transports for the country through public investments.
Philip V built the Royal Palace, theRoyal Tapestry Factoryand the main Royal Academies.The reign ofCharles III, who came to be known as "the best mayor of Madrid", saw an effort to turn the city into a true capital, with the construction of sewers, street lighting, cemeteries outside the city and a number of monuments and cultural institutions. The reforms enacted by his Sicilian minister were however opposed in 1766 by the populace in the so-calledEsquilache Riots, a revolt demanding to repeal a clothing decree banning the use of traditional hats andlong cloaksaiming to curb crime in the city.
In the context of thePeninsular War, the situation in French-occupied Madrid after March 1808 was becoming more and more tense. On 2 May, a crowd began to gather near theRoyal Palaceprotesting against the French attempt to evict the remaining members of the Bourbon royal family toBayonne, prompting up an uprising against the French Imperial troops that lasted hours and spread throughout the city, including a famous last stand at the Monteleón barracks. Subsequent repression was brutal, with many insurgent Spaniards beingsummarily executed.The uprising led to a declaration of war calling all the Spaniards to fight against the French invaders.
The city was invaded on 24 May 1823 by a French army—the so-calledHundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis—called to intervene to restore theabsolutismof Ferdinand that the latter had been deprived from during the1820–1823trienio liberal.Unlike other European capitals, during the first half of the 19th century the only noticeable bourgeois elements in Madrid (that experienced a delay in its industrial development up to that point) were merchants.The University of Alcalá de Henares was relocated to Madrid in 1836, becoming theCentral University.
The economy of the city further modernized during the second half of the 19th century, consolidating its status as a service and financial centre. New industries were mostly focused in book publishing, construction and low-tech sectors.The introduction ofrailway transportgreatly helped Madrid's economic prowess, and led to changes in consumption patterns (such as the substitution of salted fish for fresh fish from the Spanish coasts) as well as further strengthening the city's role as alogistics nodein the country's distribution network.Electric lighting in the streets was introduced in the 1890s.
During the first third of the 20th century the population nearly doubled, reaching more than 850,000 inhabitants. New suburbs such as Las Ventas,Tetuánand El Carmen became the homes of the influx of workers, whileEnsanchebecame a middle-class neighbourhood of Madrid.
TheSpanish Constitution of 1931was the first to legislate the location of the country's capital, setting it explicitly in Madrid. During the 1930s, Madrid enjoyed "great vitality"; it was demographically young, becoming urbanized and the centre of new political movements.During this time, major construction projects were undertaken, including the northern extension of thePaseo de la Castellana, one of Madrid's major thoroughfares.The tertiary sector, including banking, insurance and telephone services, grew greatly.Illiteracy rates were down to below 20%, and the city's cultural life grew notably during the so-calledSilver Ageof Spanish Culture; the sales of newspapers also increased.Conversely, the proclamation of the Republic created a severe housing shortage. Slums and squalor grew due to high population growth and the influx of the poor to the city. Construction of affordable housing failed to keep pace and increased political instability discouraged economic investment in housing in the years immediately prior to the Civil War.Anti-clericalism and Catholicism lived side by side in Madrid; theburning of conventsinitiated after riots in the city in May 1931 worsened the political environment.However, the1934 insurrectionlargely failed in the city.
Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities in theSpanish Civil War(1936–1939). It was a stronghold of theRepublican factionfrom July 1936 and became an international symbol ofanti-fasciststruggle during the conflict.The city suffered aerial bombing, and in November 1936, its western suburbs were the scene of an all-out battle.The city fell to the Francoists in March 1939.
A staple of post-war Madrid (Madrid de la posguerra) was the widespread use ofration coupons.Meat and fish consumption was scarce, resulting in high mortality due to malnutrition.Due to Madrid's history as a left-wing stronghold, the right-wing victors considered moving the capital elsewhere (most notably toSeville), but such plans were never implemented. TheFranco regimeinstead emphasized the city's history as the capital of formerly imperial Spain.
The intense demographic growth experienced by the city via mass immigration from the rural areas of the country led to the construction of abundant housing in the peripheral areas of the city to absorb the new population (reinforcing the processes of social polarization of the city),initially comprising substandard housing (with as many as 50,000shacksscattered around the city by 1956).A transitional planning intended to temporarily replace the shanty towns were thepoblados de absorción, introduced since the mid-1950s in locations such asCanillas,San Fermín, Caño Roto,Villaverde,Pan Bendito[es],ZofíoandFuencarral, aiming to work as a sort of "high-end" shacks (with the destinataries participating in the construction of their own housing) but under the aegis of a wider coordinated urban planning.
Madrid grew through the annexation of neighboring municipalities, achieving the present extent of 607 km(234.36 sq mi). The south of Madrid became heavily industrialized, and there was significantimmigrationfrom rural areas of Spain. Madrid's newly built north-western districts became the home of a newly enriched middle class that appeared as result of the1960s Spanish economic boom, while the south-eastern periphery became a large working-class area, which formed the base for active cultural and political movements.
After the fall of the Francoist regime, the new1978 constitutionconfirmed Madrid as the capital of Spain. The1979 municipal electionbrought Madrid's first democratically elected mayor since the Second Republic to power.
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 centre-leftPSOE(Enrique Tierno Galván,Juan Barranco Gallardo). Since the late 1970s and through the 1980s Madrid became the center of the cultural movement known asla Movida. Conversely, just like in the rest of the country, aheroin crisistook a toll in the poor neighborhoods of Madrid in the 1980s.
Benefiting from increasing prosperity in the 1980s and 1990s, the capital city of Spain consolidated its position as an important economic, cultural, industrial, educational, and technological centre on the European continent.During the mandate as Mayor ofJosé María Álvarez del Manzanoconstruction of traffic tunnels below the city proliferated.The following administrations, also conservative, led byAlberto Ruiz-GallardónandAna Botellalaunched three unsuccessful bids for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics.By 2005, Madrid was the leading European destination for migrants fromdeveloping countries, as well as the largest employer of non-European workforce in Spain.Madrid was a centre of theanti-austerity proteststhat erupted in Spain in 2011.As consequence of the spillover of the2008 financial and mortgage crisis, Madrid has been affected by the increasing number of second-hand homes held by banks andhouse evictions.The mandate of left-wing MayorManuela Carmena(2015–2019) delivered the renaturalization of the course of theManzanaresacross the city.
Since the late 2010s, the challenges the city faces include the increasingly unaffordable rental prices (often in parallel with thegentrificationand the spike of tourist apartments in the city centre) and the profusion ofbetting shopsin working-class areas, leading to an "epidemic" of gambling among young people.
Madrid lies in the centre of the Iberian peninsula on the southernMeseta Central, 60 km south of theGuadarrama mountain rangeand straddling theJaramaandManzanaresriver sub-drainage basins, in the widerTagus Rivercatchment area. With an average altitude of 650 m (2,130 ft), Madrid is the second highest capital ofEurope(afterAndorra la Vella).The difference in altitude within the city proper ranges from the 700 m (2,297 ft) aroundPlaza de Castillain the north of city to the 570 m (1,870 ft) aroundLa Chinawastewater treatment plant on the Manzanares' riverbanks, near the latter's confluence with the Fuente Castellanathalwegin the south of the city.TheMonte de El Pardo(a protected forested area covering over a quarter of the municipality) reaches its top altitude (843 m (2,766 ft)) on its perimeter, in the slopes surroundingEl Pardo reservoir[es]located at the north-western end of the municipality, in theFuencarral-El Pardodistrict.
The oldest urban core is located on the hills next to the left bank of the Manzanares River.The city grew to the east, reaching theFuente Castellana Creek[es](now thePaseo de la Castellana), and further east reaching theAbroñigal Creek[es](now theM-30).The city also grew through the annexation of neighbouring urban settlements,including those to the South West on the right bank of the Manzanares.
Madrid has the second highest number of aligned trees in the world, with 248,000 units, only exceeded by Tokyo. Madrid's citizens have access to a green area within a 15-minute walk. Since 1997, green areas have increased by 16%. At present, 8.2% of Madrid's grounds are green areas, meaning that there are 16 m(172 sq ft) of green area per inhabitant, far exceeding the 10 m(108 sq ft) per inhabitant recommended by the World Health Organization.
A great bulk of the most important parks in Madrid are related to areas originally belonging to the royal assets (including El Pardo, Soto de Viñuelas, Casa de Campo, El Buen Retiro, la Florida and thePríncipe Pío hill, and the Queen's Casino).The other main source for the "green" areas are thebienes de propios[es]owned by the municipality (including the Dehesa de la Villa, the Dehesa de Arganzuela or Viveros).
El Retirois the most visited location of the city.Having an area bigger than 1.4 km(0.5 sq mi) (350 acres), it is the largest park within theAlmendra Central, the inner part of the city enclosed by the M-30. Created during the reign ofPhilip IV(17th century), it was handed over to the municipality in 1868, after the Glorious Revolution.It lies next to theRoyal Botanical Garden of Madrid.
Located northwest of the city centre, theParque del Oeste("Park of the West") comprises part of the area of the former royal possession of the "Real Florida", and it features a slope as the height decreases down to the Manzanares.Its southern extension includes theTemple of Debod, a transported ancient Egyptian temple.
Other urban parks are theParque de El Capricho, theParque Juan Carlos I(both in northeast Madrid),Madrid Río, theEnrique Tierno Galván Park[es], theSan Isidro Park[es]as well as gardens such as theCampo del Moro(opened to the public in 1978)and theSabatini Gardens(opened to the public in 1931)adjacent to the Royal Palace.
Further west, across the Manzanares, lies theCasa de Campo, a large forested area with more than1700 hectares(6.6 sq mi) where theMadrid Zoo, and theParque de Atracciones de Madridamusement park are located. It was ceded to the municipality following the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931.
TheMonte de El Pardois the largest forested area in the municipality. Aholm oakforest covering a surface over16,000hectares, it is considered the best preservedmediterranean forestin the Community of Madrid and one of the best preserved in Europe.Already mentioned in theAlfonso XI'sLibro de la montería[es]from the mid-14th century, its condition as hunting location linked to the Spanish monarchy help to preserve the environmental value.During the reign of Ferdinand VII the regime of hunting prohibition for the Monte de El Pardo became one of full property and the expropriation of all possessions within its bounds was enforced, with dire consequences for the madrilenians at the time.It is designated asSpecial Protection Areafor bird-life and it is also part of the Regional Park of the High Basin of the Manzanares.
Other large forested areas include theSoto de Viñuelas, theDehesa de Valdelatas[es]and theDehesa de la Villa[es]. As of 2015, the most recent big park in the municipality is the Valdebebas Park. Covering a total area of 4.7 km(1.8 sq mi), it is sub-divided in a 3.4 km(1.3 sq mi) forest park (theParque forestal de Valdebebas-Felipe VI[es]), a 0.8 km(0.31 sq mi) periurban park as well as municipal garden centres and compost plants.
Madrid has acold semi-arid climate(KöppenBSk), transitioning to aMediterranean climate(Csa) in the western half.The city has continental influences.
Winters are cool due to its altitude, which is approximately 667 m (2,188 ft)above sea leveland distance from the moderating effect of the sea. While mostly sunny, rain, sporadic snowfalls and frequent frosts can occur between December and February with cooler temperatures particularly during the night and mornings as cold winds blow into the city from surrounding mountains. Summers are hot and sunny, in the warmest month, July, average temperatures during the day range from 32 to 34 °C (90 to 93 °F) depending on location, with maxima commonly climbing over 35 °C (95 °F) and occasionally up to 40 °C during the frequent heat waves. Due to Madrid's altitude and dry climate, humidity is low anddiurnal rangesare often significant, particularly on sunny winter days when the temperature rises in the afternoon before rapidly plummeting after nightfall. Madrid is among the sunniest capital cities in Europe.
The highest recorded temperature was on 14 August 2021, with 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) and the lowest recorded temperature was on 16 January 1945 with −10.1 °C (13.8 °F) in Madrid.While at the airport, in the eastern side of the city, the highest recorded temperature was on 14 August 2021, at 42.7 °C (108.9 °F), and the lowest recorded temperature was on 16 January 1945 at −15.2 °C (4.6 °F).From 7 to 9 January 2021, Madrid received the most snow in its recorded history since 1904; Spain's meteorological agencyAEMETreported between 50 and 60 cm (20 and 24 in) of accumulated snow in itsweather stationswithin the city.
Precipitationis typically concentrated in the autumn, winter, and spring. It is particularly sparse during the summer, taking the form of about two showers and/or thunderstorms during the season. Madrid is theeuropean capitalwith the least amount of annual precipitation.
At the metropolitan scale, Madrid features both substantial daytime urban cool island and nighttimeurban heat islandeffects during the summer season in relation to its surroundings, which feature thinly vegetated dry land.
In the 17th century, theviajes de agua(a kind of water channel orqanat) were used to provide water to the city. Some of the most important ones were theViaje de Amaniel[es](1610–1621, sponsored by the Crown), theViaje de Fuente Castellana[es](1613–1620) andAbroñigal Alto[es]/Abroñigal Bajo[es](1617–1630), sponsored by the City Council. They were the main infrastructure for the supply of water until the arrival of theCanal de Isabel IIin the mid-19th century.
Madrid derives almost 73.5 percent of itswater supplyfrom dams and reservoirs built on theLozoya River, such as theEl Atazar Dam.This water supply is managed by the Canal de Isabel II, a public entity created in 1851. It is responsible for the supply, depurating waste water and the conservation of all the natural water resources of the Madrid region.
The population of Madrid has overall increased since the city became the capital of Spain in the mid-sixteenth century, and has stabilised at approximately 3,000,000 since the 1970s.
From 1970 until the mid-1990s, the population dropped. This phenomenon, which also affected other European cities, was caused in part by the growth of satellite suburbs at the expense of the downtown region within the city proper.
Thedemographic boomaccelerated in the late-1990s and early first decade of the 21st century due toimmigrationin parallel with a surge in Spanisheconomic growth.
The wider Madrid region is the EU region with the highest average life expectancy at birth. The average life expectancy was 82.2 years for males and 87.8 for females in 2016.
As the capital city of Spain, the city has attracted many immigrants from around the world, with most of the immigrants coming fromLatin Americancountries.In 2020, around 76% of the registered population was Spain-born,while, regarding the foreign-born population (24%),the bulk of it relates tothe Americas(around 16% of the total population), and a lesser fraction of the population is born in otherEuropean,AsianandAfricancountries.
As of 2019, the fastest-growing group of immigrants wereVenezuelans, who consisted of a population of 60,000 in Madrid alone. This made them the second-largest community of foreign origin at the time afterEcuadorians, with a population of 88,000.
Regarding religious beliefs, according to a 2019Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas(CIS) survey with a sample size of 469 respondents, 20.7% of respondents in Madrid identify themselves as practisingCatholics, 45.8% as non-practising Catholics, 3.8% as believers of another religion, 11.1% asagnostics, 3.6% as indifferent towards religion, and 12.8% asatheists. The remaining 2.1% did not state their religious beliefs.
The Madrid metropolitan area comprises Madrid and the surrounding municipalities. According toEurostat, the "metropolitan region" of Madrid has a population of slightly more than 6.271 million peoplecovering an area of 4,609.7 km(1,780 sq mi). It is the largest in Spain and thesecond largest in the European Union.
The City Council (Ayuntamiento de Madrid) is the body responsible for the government and administration of the municipality. It is formed by the Plenary (Pleno), the Mayor (alcalde) and the Government Board (Junta de Gobierno de la Ciudad de Madrid).
The Plenary of the Ayuntamiento is the body ofpolitical representationof the citizens in themunicipal government. Its 57 members are elected for a 4-year mandate. Some of its attributions are: fiscal matters, the election and deposition of the mayor, the approval and modification of decrees and regulations, the approval of budgets, the agreements related to the limits and alteration of the municipal term, the services management, the participation in supramunicipal organisations, etc.
The mayor, the supreme representative of the city, presides over theAyuntamiento. He is charged with giving impetus to the municipal policies, managing the action of the rest of bodies and directing the executive municipal administration.He is responsible to thePleno. He is also entitled to preside over the meetings of thePleno, although this responsibility can be delegated to another municipal councillor.José Luis Martínez-Almeida, a member of thePeople's Party, has served as mayor since 2019.
The Government Board consists of the mayor, deputy mayors and a number of delegates assuming the portfolios for the different government areas. All those positions are held by municipal councillors.
Since 2007, theCybele Palace(or Palace of Communications) serves asCity Hall.
Madrid is the capital of Spain. TheKing of Spain, the country's head of state, has his official residence in theZarzuela Palace. As the seat of theGovernment of Spain, Madrid also houses the official residence of thePresident of the Government(Prime Minister) and regular meeting place of theCouncil of Ministers, theMoncloa 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, thePalacio de las Cortesand thePalacio del Senado), also lie in Madrid.
Madrid is the capital of the Community of Madrid. The region has its own legislature and enjoys a wide range of competencies in areas such as social spending, healthcare, and education. The seat of the regional parliament, theAssembly of Madrid, is located at the district ofPuente de Vallecas. Thepresidency of the regional governmentis headquartered at theRoyal House of the Post Officeat the very centre of the city, thePuerta del Sol.
TheMadrid Municipal Police(Policía Municipal de Madrid) is the local law enforcement body, dependent on theAyuntamiento. As of 2018, it had a workforce of6,190civil servants.
The headquarters of both theDirectorate-General of the Policeand theDirectorate-General of the Civil Guardare located in Madrid. The headquarters of the Higher Office of Police of Madrid (Jefatura Superior de Policía de Madrid), the peripheral branch of theNational Police Corpswith jurisdiction over the region also lies in Madrid.
Madrid is administratively divided into 21 districts, which are further subdivided into 131 neighbourhoods (barrios):
After it became the capital of Spain in the 16th century, Madrid was more a centre ofconsumptionthan of production or trade. Economic activity was largely devoted to supplying the city's own rapidly growing population, including the royal household and national government, and to such trades asbankingandpublishing.
A largeindustrial sectordid not develop until the 20th century, but thereafter industry greatly expanded and diversified, making Madrid the second industrial city in Spain. However, the economy of the city is now becoming more and more dominated by theservice sector. A major European financial center, its stock market is the third largest stock market in Europe featuring both theIBEX 35index and the attachedLatibex[es]stock market (with the second most important index forLatin Americancompanies).
Madrid is the 5th most important leading Centre of Commerce in Europe (after London, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam) and ranks 11th in the world.It is the leading Spanish-speaking city in terms of webpage creation.
As the capital city of theSpanish Empirefrom 1561, Madrid's population grew rapidly. Administration, banking, and small-scale manufacturing centred on the royal court were among the main activities, but the city was more a locus of consumption than production or trade, geographically isolated as it was before the coming of the railways.
TheBank of Spainis one of the oldest European central banks. Originally named as the Bank of San Carlos as it was founded in 1782, it was later renamed to Bank of San Fernando in 1829 and ultimately became the Bank of Spain in 1856.Its headquartersare located at thecalle de Alcalá. TheMadrid Stock Exchangewas inaugurated on 20 October 1831.Its benchmark stock market index is theIBEX 35.
Industry started to develop on a large scale only in the 20th century,but then grew rapidly, especially during the "Spanish miracle" period around the 1960s. The economy of the city was then centred on manufacturing industries such as those related tomotor vehicles, aircraft, chemicals, electronic devices, pharmaceuticals,processed food, printed materials, and leather goods.Since the restoration of democracy in the late 1970s, the city has continued to expand. Its economy is now among the most dynamic and diverse in theEuropean Union.
Madrid concentrates activities directly connected with power (central and regional government, headquarters of Spanish companies, regional HQ ofmultinationals,financial institutions) and with knowledge and technological innovation (research centres and universities). It is one of Europe's largest financial centres, and the largest in Spain.The city has 17 universities and over 30 research centres.It is the second metropolis in the EU by population, and the third by gross internal product.Leading employers includeTelefónica,Iberia,Prosegur,BBVA, Urbaser,Dragados, andFCC.
TheCommunity of Madrid, the region comprising the city and the rest of municipalities of the province, had aGDPof€220B in 2017, equating to a GDP per capita of €33,800.In 2011 the city itself had a GDP per capita 74% above the national average and 70% above that of the 27European Unionmember states, although 11% behind the average of the top 10 cities of the EU.Although housing just over 50% of theregion's population, the city generates 65.9% of its GDP.Following therecessioncommencing 2007/8, recovery was under way by 2014, with forecast growth rates for the city of 1.4% in 2014, 2.7% in 2015 and 2.8% in 2016.
The economy of Madrid has become based increasingly on theservice sector. In 2011 services accounted for 85.9% of value added, whileindustrycontributed 7.9% andconstruction6.1%.Nevertheless, Madrid continues to hold the position of Spain's second industrial centre after Barcelona, specialising particularly in high-technology production. Following the recession, services and industry were forecast to return to growth in 2014, and construction in 2015.
Mean household income and spending are 12% above the Spanish average.The proportion classified as "at risk of poverty" in 2010 was 15.6%, up from 13.0% in 2006 but less than the average for Spain of 21.8%. The proportion classified as affluent was 43.3%, much higher than Spain overall (28.6%).
Consumption by Madrid residents has been affected by job losses and byausteritymeasures, including a rise in sales tax from 8% to 21% in 2012.
Although residential property prices have fallen by 39% since 2007, the average price of dwelling space was €2,375.6 per sq. m. in early 2014,and is shown as second only to London in a list of 22 European cities.
Participation in the labour force was 1,638,200 in 2011, or 79.0%. The employed workforce comprised 49% women in 2011 (Spain, 45%).41% of economically active people are university graduates, against 24% for Spain as a whole.
In 2011, the unemployment rate was 15.8%, remaining lower than in Spain as a whole. Among those aged 16–24, the unemployment rate was 39.6%.Unemployment reached a peak of 19.1% in 2013,but with the start of an economic recovery in 2014, employment started to increase.Employment continues to shift further towards the service sector, with 86% of all jobs in this sector by 2011, against 74% in all of Spain.In the second quarter of 2018 the unemployment rate was 10.06%.
The share of services in the city's economy is 86%. Services for business, transport & communications, property, and financial together account for 52% of the total value added.The types of services that are now expanding are mainly those that facilitate movement of capital, information, goods and persons, and "advanced business services" such asresearch and development(R&D),information technology, and technicalaccountancy.
Madrid and the wider region's authorities have put a notable effort in the development oflogistics infrastructure. Within the city proper, some of the standout centres includeMercamadrid, theMadrid-Abroñigal[es]logistics centre, the Villaverde's Logistics Centre and the Vicálvaro's Logistics Centre to name a few.
Banksbased in Madrid carry out 72% of the banking activity in Spain.The Spanishcentral bank,Bank of Spain, has existed in Madrid since 1782. Stocks & shares,bondmarkets,insurance, andpension fundsare other important forms of financial institution in the city.
Madrid is an important centre fortrade fairs, many of them coordinated byIFEMA, the Trade Fair Institution of Madrid.Thepublic sectoremploys 18.1% of all employees.Madrid attracts about 8Mtouristsannually from other parts of Spain and from all over the world, exceeding evenBarcelona.Spending by tourists in Madrid was estimated (2011) at €9,546.5M, or 7.7% of the city's GDP.
The construction oftransportinfrastructure has been vital to maintain the economic position of Madrid. Travel to work and other local journeys use a high-capacity metropolitan road network and a well-usedpublic transportsystem.In terms of longer-distance transport, Madrid is the central node of the system ofautovíasand of thehigh-speed railnetwork (AVE), which has brought major cities such as Seville and Barcelona within 2.5 hours travel time.Also important to the city's economy isMadrid-Barajas Airport, the fourth largest airport in Europe.Madrid's central location makes it a majorlogisticalbase.
As an industrial centre Madrid retains its advantages in infrastructure, as a transport hub, and as the location of headquarters of many companies. Industries based on advanced technology are acquiring much more importance here than in the rest of Spain.Industry contributed 7.5% to Madrid's value-added in 2010.However, industry has slowly declined within the city boundaries as more industry has moved outward to the periphery. Industrial Gross Value Added grew by 4.3% in the period 2003–2005, but decreased by 10% during 2008–2010.The leading industries were: paper, printing & publishing, 28.8%; energy & mining, 19.7%; vehicles & transport equipment, 12.9%; electrical and electronic, 10.3%; foodstuffs, 9.6%; clothing, footwear & textiles, 8.3%; chemical, 7.9%; industrial machinery, 7.3%.
ThePSA Peugeot Citroënplant is located inVillaverdedistrict.
The construction sector, contributing 6.5% to the city's economy in 2010,was a growing sector before the recession, aided by a large transport and infrastructure program. More recently the construction sector has fallen away and earned 8% less in 2009 than it had been in 2000.The decrease was particularly marked in the residential sector, where prices dropped by 25%–27% from 2007 to 2012/13and the number of sales fell by 57%.
Madrid is the seat of theWorld Tourism Organization(UNWTO) and theInternational Tourism Fair[es](FITUR).
In 2018, the city received10.21million tourists (53.3% of them international tourists).The biggest share of international tourists come from the United States, followed by Italy, France, United Kingdom and Germany.As of 2018, the city has 793 hotels,85,418hotel places and43,816hotel rooms.It also had, as of 2018, an estimated20,217tourist apartments.
The most visited museum was theMuseo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, with 3.8 million visitors in the sum of its three seats in 2018. Conversely, thePrado Museumhad 2.8 million visitors and theThyssen-Bornemisza Museum906,815visitors.
By the late 2010s, the gentrification and the spike of tourist apartments in the city centre led to an increase in rental prices, pushing residents out of the city centre.Most of the tourist apartments in Madrid (50–54%) are located in the Centro District.In theSolneighborhood (part of the latter district), 3 out of 10 homes are dedicated to tourist apartments,and 2 out of 10 are listed inAirBnB.In April 2019 the plenary of theayuntamientopassed a plan intending to regulate this practice, seeking to greatly limit the number of tourist apartments. The normative would enforce a requirement for independent access to those apartments on and off the street.However, after the change of government in June 2019, the new municipal administration planned to revert the regulation.
A recent study placed Madrid 7th among 36 cities as an attractive base for business.It was placed third in terms of availability of office space, and fifth for ease of access to markets, availability of qualified staff, mobility within the city, and quality of life. Its less favourable characteristics were seen as pollution, languages spoken, and political environment. Another ranking of European cities placed Madrid 5th among 25 cities (behindBerlin,London,ParisandFrankfurt), being rated favourably on economic factors and the labour market as well as transport and communication.
The Madrid metropolitan area is an important film and television production hub, whose content is distributed throughout theSpanish-speaking worldand abroad. It is often seen as the entry point into the European media market forLatin Americanmedia companies, and likewise the entry point into the Latin American markets for European companies.It is also the headquarters of media groups such asRadiotelevisión Española(RTVE),Atresmedia,Mediaset España, andMovistar+, which produce numerous films, television shows and series which are distributed globally on various platforms.Since 2018, it is also home toNetflix's Madrid Production Hub,Mediapro Studio, and numerous others such asViacom International Studios.As of 2019, the film and television industry employs 19,000 people locally (44% of people in Spain working in this industry).
TheTorrespañabroadcasting tower, located in Madrid'sSalamancadistrict, is the central and main transmission node of the terrestrial broadcasting network in Spain. RTVE, the state-owned radio and televisionpublic broadcasterisheadquarteredinPozuelo de Alarcónalong with all its channels and web services (La 1,La 2,Clan,Teledeporte,24 Horas,TVE Internacional,Radio Nacional,Radio Exterior, andRadio Clásica). Atresmedia group (Antena 3,La Sexta,Onda Cero) is headquartered inSan Sebastián de los Reyes.Mediaset España(Telecinco,Cuatro) maintains its headquarters in Madrid'sFuencarral-El Pardodistrict. Together with RTVE, Atresmedia and Mediaset account for nearly the 80% of share ofgeneralist television.The Spanish media conglomeratePRISA(Cadena SER,Los 40 Principales,M80 Radio,Cadena Dial) is headquartered inGran Víastreet in central Madrid.
Besides hosting the main television and radio producers and broadcasters, the metropolitan area hosts most of the major written mass media in Spain,includingABC,El País,El Mundo,La Razón,Marca,¡Hola!,Diario AS,El ConfidencialandCinco Días. The Spanish international news agencyEFEmaintains its headquarters in Madrid since its inception in 1939. The second news agency of Spain is the privately ownedEuropa Press, founded and headquartered in Madrid since 1953.
Little medieval architecture is preserved in Madrid, mostly in theAlmendra Central, including theSan NicolásandSan Pedro el Viejochurch towers, the church ofSan Jerónimo el Real, and theBishop's Chapel. Nor has Madrid retained much Renaissance architecture, other than theBridge of Segoviaand theConvent of Las Descalzas Reales.
Philip II moved his court to Madrid in 1561 and transformed the town into a capital city. During the Early Habsburg period, the import of European influences took place, underpinned by the monicker ofAustrian style. The Austrian style featured not only Austrian influences but also Italian and Dutch (as well as Spanish), reflecting on the international preeminence of the Habsburgs.During the second half of the 16th century, the use of pointy slatespiresin order to top structures such as church towers was imported to Spain from Central Europe.Slate spires and roofs consequently became a staple of the Madrilenian architecture at the time.
Stand out architecture in the city dating back to the early 17th century includes several buildings and structures (most of them attributed toJuan Gómez de Mora) such as thePalace of the Duke of Uceda(1610), theMonastery of La Encarnación(1611–1616); thePlaza Mayor(1617–1619) or theCárcel de Corte(1629–1641), currently known as theSanta Cruz Palace.The century also saw the construction of the former City Hall, theCasa de la Villa.
TheImperial Collegechurch model dome was imitated in all of Spain.Pedro de RiberaintroducedChurrigueresquearchitecture to Madrid; theCuartel del Conde-Duque, thechurch of Montserrat, and theBridge of Toledoare among the best examples.
The reign ofthe Bourbonsduring the eighteenth century marked a new era in the city.Philip Vtried to complete King Philip II's vision of urbanisation of Madrid. Philip V built a palace in line with French taste, as well as other buildings such asSt. Michael's Basilicaand theChurch of Santa Bárbara. KingCharles IIIbeautified the city and endeavoured to convert Madrid into one of the great European capitals. He pushed forward the construction of the Prado Museum (originally intended as a Natural Science Museum), thePuerta de Alcalá, theRoyal Observatory, theBasilica of San Francisco el Grande, the Casa de Correos inPuerta del Sol, theReal Casa de la Aduana, and the General Hospital (which now houses the Reina Sofia Museum and Royal Conservatory of Music). ThePaseo del Prado, surrounded by gardens and decorated with neoclassical statues, is an example of urban planning. TheDuke of Berwickordered the construction of theLiria Palace.
During the early 19th century, thePeninsular War, theloss of viceroyaltiesin the Americas, and continuing coups limited the city's architectural development (Royal Theatre, theNational Library of Spain, the Palace of the Senate, and theCongress). TheSegovia Viaductlinked the Royal Alcázar to the southern part of town.
The list of key figures of madrilenian architecture during the 19th and 20th centuries includes authors such asNarciso Pascual y Colomer,Francisco Jareño y Alarcón,Francisco de Cubas,Juan Bautista Lázaro de Diego,Ricardo Velázquez Bosco,Antonio Palacios,Secundino Zuazo,Luis Gutiérrez Soto,Luis Moya Blanco[es]andAlejandro de la Sota.
From the mid-19th century until the Civil War, Madrid modernised and built new neighbourhoods and monuments. The expansion of Madrid developed under thePlan Castro, resulting in the neighbourhoods ofSalamanca,Argüelles, andChamberí.Arturo Soriaconceived thelinear cityand built the first few kilometres of the road that bears his name, which embodies the idea. TheGran Víawas built using different styles that evolved over time: French style, eclectic, art deco, and expressionist. However,Art Nouveau in Madrid, known asModernismodid also develop at the turn of the century, in concert with its appearance elsewhere in Europe, includingBarcelonaandValencia.Antonio Palaciosbuilt a series of buildings inspired by theViennese Secession, such as thePalace of Communication, theCírculo de Bellas Artes, and theRío de La Plata Bank(nowInstituto Cervantes). Other notable buildings include theBank of Spain, the neo-GothicAlmudena Cathedral,Atocha Station, and the Catalan art-nouveauPalace of Longoria.Las VentasBullring was built, as theMarket of San Miguel(Cast-Iron style).
Following the Francoist takeover that ensued the end of Spanish Civil war, architecture experienced an involution, discarding rationalism and, eclecticism notwithstanding, going back to an overall rather "outmoded" architectural language, with the purpose of turning Madrid into a capital worthy of the "Immortal Spain".Iconic examples of this period include theMinistry of the Air(a case ofherrerianrevival) and theEdificio España(presented as the tallest building in Europe when it was inaugurated in 1953).Many of these buildings distinctly combine the use of brick and stone in the façades.TheCasa Sindicalmarked a breaking point as it was the first to reassume rationalism, although that relinking to modernity was undertaken through the imitation of the Italian Fascist architecture.
With the advent of Spanish economic development, skyscrapers, such asTorre Picasso, Torres Blancas and Torre BBVA, and theGate of Europe, appeared in the late 20th century in the city. During the decade of the 2000s, the four tallest skyscrapers in Spain were built and together form theCuatro Torres Business Area.Terminal 4 atMadrid-Barajas Airportwas inaugurated in 2006 and won several architectural awards. Terminal 4 is one of the world's largest terminal areasand features glass panes and domes in the roof, which allow natural light to pass through.
Madrid is considered one of the top European destinations concerning art museums. Best known is theGolden Triangle of Art, located along thePaseo del Pradoand comprising three major museums: thePrado Museum, theReina Sofía Museum, and theThyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
The Prado Museum (Museo del Prado) is a museum and art gallery that features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the formerSpanish Royal Collection. It has the best collection of artworks byGoya,Velázquez,El Greco,Rubens,Titian,Hieronymus Bosch,José de Ribera, andPatinir, as well as works byRogier van der Weyden,Raphael Sanzio,Tintoretto,Veronese,Caravaggio,Van Dyck,Albrecht Dürer,Claude Lorrain,Murillo, andZurbarán, among others. Some of the standout works exhibited at the museum includeLas Meninas,La maja vestida,La maja desnuda,The Garden of Earthly Delights,The Immaculate ConceptionandThe Judgement of Paris.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza) is an art museum that fills the historical gaps in its counterparts' collections: in the Prado's case, this includes Italian primitives and works from theEnglish,Dutch, and German schools, while in the case of the Reina Sofía, the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, once the second largest private collection in the world after the BritishRoyal Collection,includesImpressionists,Expressionists, and European and American paintings from the second half of the 20th century, with over 1,600 paintings.
The Reina Sofía National Art Museum (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía; MNCARS) is Madrid's national museum of20th-century artand housesPablo Picasso's 1937 anti-war masterpiece,Guernica. Other highlights of the museum, which is mainly dedicated to Spanish art, include excellent collections of Spain's greatest 20th-century masters includingSalvador Dalí,Joan Miró, Picasso,Juan Gris, andJulio González. The Reina Sofía also hosts a free-access art library.
TheNational Archaeological Museum of Madrid(Museo Arqueológico Nacional) shows archaeological finds fromPrehistoryto the 19th century (including Roman mosaics, Greek ceramics, Islamic art and Romanesque art), especially from the Iberian Peninsula, distributed over three floors. An iconic item in the museum is theLady of Elche, an Iberian bust from the 4th century BC. Other major pieces include theLady of Baza, theLady of Cerro de los Santos, theLady of Ibiza, theBicha of Balazote, theTreasure of Guarrazar, thePyxis of Zamora, theMausoleum of Pozo Moroand anapier's bones. In addition, the museum has a reproduction of the polychromatic paintings in theAltamira Cave.
TheRoyal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando(Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando) houses a fine art collection of paintings ranging from the 15th to 20th centuries. The academy is also the headquarters of the Madrid Academy of Art.
CaixaForum Madridis a post-modern art gallery in the centre of Madrid, next to the Prado Museum.
TheRoyal Palace of Madrid, a massive building characterised by its luxurious rooms, houses rich collections of armours and weapons, as well as the most comprehensive collection ofStradivariusin the world.TheMuseo de las Colecciones Realesis a future museum intended to host the most outstanding pieces of the Royal Collections part of thePatrimonio Nacional. Located next to the Royal Palace and the Almudena, Patrimonio Nacional has tentatively scheduled its opening for 2021.
TheMuseum of the Americas(Museo de América) is a national museum that holds artistic, archaeological, and ethnographic collections from theAmericas, ranging from thePaleolithicperiod to the present day.
Other notable museums include theNational Museum of Natural Sciences(the Spain's national museum ofnatural history),theNaval Museum,theConvent of Las Descalzas Reales(with many works of Renaissance and Baroque art, andBrussels tapestriesinspired by paintings of Rubens),theMuseum of Lázaro Galdiano(housing a collection specialising in decorative arts, featuring a collection of weapons that features the sword of PopeInnocent VIII),theNational Museum of Decorative Arts,theNational Museum of Romanticism(focused on 19th century Romanticism),theMuseum Cerralbo,theNational Museum of Anthropology(featuring as highlight aGuanchemummy fromTenerife),theSorolla Museum(focused in the namesake Valencian Impressionist painter,also including sculptures byAuguste Rodin, part of Sorolla's personal effects),or theHistory Museum of Madrid(housing pieces related to the local history of Madrid), theWax Museum of Madrid, and theRailway Museum(located in the building that was once the Delicias Station).
Major cultural centres in the city include theFine Arts Circle(one of Madrid's oldest arts centres and one of the most important private cultural centres in Europe, hosting exhibitions, shows, film screenings, conferences and workshops), theConde Duque cultural centreor theMatadero Madrid, a cultural complex (formerly an abattoir) located by the river Manzanares. The Matadero, created in 2006 with the aim of "promoting research, production, learning, and diffusion of creative works and contemporary thought in all their manifestations", is considered the third most valued cultural institution in Madrid among art professionals.
The usual language in Madrid isPeninsular Spanish.
It is in the transition between northern and southern dialects.
Typical features are:
The arrival to Madrid of a substantial number of immigrants fromLatin America(such asEcuadorians) has induced processes of dialectal convergence and divergence in the city.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Madrid youth created their own slang,Cheli.
Madrid has been one of the great centres ofSpanish literature. Some of the most distinguished writers of theSpanish Golden Centurywere born in Madrid, includingLope de Vega(author ofFuenteovejunaandThe Dog in the Manger), who reformed the Spanish theatre, a project continued byCalderon de la Barca(author ofLife is a Dream).Francisco de Quevedo, who criticised the Spanish society of his day, and author ofEl Buscón, andTirso de Molina, who created the characterDon Juan, were born in Madrid.CervantesandGóngoraalso lived in the city, although they were not born there. The Madrid homes of Lope de Vega, Quevedo, Gongora, and Cervantes still exist, and they are all in the Barrio de las Letras (Literary Neighborhood). Other writers born in Madrid in later centuries have beenLeandro Fernandez de Moratín,Mariano José de Larra,Jose de Echegaray(Nobel Prize in Literature),Ramón Gómez de la Serna,Dámaso Alonso,Enrique Jardiel PoncelaandPedro Salinas.
The "Barrio de las Letras" owes its name to the intense literary activity taking place there during the 16th and 17th centuries. Some of the most prominent writers of theSpanish Golden Agelived here, such asLope de Vega,Quevedo, andGóngora, and it contained the Cruz and Príncipe Theatres, two of the most important in Spain. At 87 Calle de Atocha, on the northern end of the neighborhood, was the printing house ofJuan de la Cuesta, where the first edition ofDon Quixotewas typeset and printed in 1604. Most of the literary routes are articulatedalong the Barrio de las Letras, where you can find scenes from novels of theSiglo de Oroand more recent works like "Bohemian Lights".Although born inLas Palmas de Gran Canaria,realistwriterBenito Pérez Galdósmade Madrid the setting for many of his stories; there is a giidebook to the Madrid of Galdós (Madrid galdosiano).
Madrid is home to theRoyal Spanish Academy, the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, which governs, with statutory authority, over Spanish,preparing, publishing, and updating authoritative reference works on it. The academy's motto (lema, in Spanish) states its purpose: it cleans the language, stabilizes it, and gives it brilliance ("Limpia, fija y da resplendor"). Madrid is also home to another international cultural institution, theInstituto Cervantes, whose task is the promotion and teaching of theSpanish languageas well as the dissemination of the culture ofSpainandHispanic America. TheNational Library of Spainis the largest major public library in Spain. The library's collection consists of more than 26,000,000 items, including 15,000,000 books and other printed materials, 30,000 manuscripts, 143,000 newspapers and serials, 4,500,000 graphic materials, 510,000 music scores, 500,000 maps, 600,000 sound recording, 90,000 audiovisuals, 90,000 electronic documents, and more than 500,000 microforms.
The Madrilenian cuisine has received plenty of influences from other regions of Spain and its own identity actually relies in its ability to assimilate elements from the immigration.
Thecocido madrileño, achickpea-basedstew, is one of the most emblematic dishes of the Madrilenian cuisine.Thecallos a la madrileña[es]is another traditional winter specialty, usually made of cattletripes.Otheroffaldishes typical in the city include thegallinejas[es]or grilledpig's ear.Friedsquidhas become a culinary specialty in Madrid, often consumed in sandwich asbocata de calamares.
Other generic dishes commonly accepted as part of the Madrilenian cuisine include thepotaje, thesopa de ajo(Garlic soup), theSpanish omelette, thebesugo a la madrileña[es](bream),caracoles a la madrileña[es](snails, sp.Cornu aspersum) or thesoldaditos de Pavía, thepatatas bravas(consumed as snack in bars) or thegallina enpepitoria[es](hen or chicken cooked with the yolk ofhard-boiled eggsandalmonds) to name a few.
Traditional desserts includetorrijas(a variant of French toast consumed during Easter)andbartolillos[es].
Madrid is an international hub of highly active and diversenightlifewithbars, dance bars andnightclubsstaying open well past midnight.Madrid is reputed to have a "vibrantnightlife".Some of the highlight bustling locations include the surroundings of thePlaza de Santa Ana,Malasañaand La Latina (particularly near theCava Baja[es]).It is one of the city's main attractions with tapas bars, cocktail bars, clubs, jazz lounges, live music venues and flamenco theatres. Most nightclubs liven up by 1:30a.m.and stay open until at least 6a.m.
Nightlife flourished in the 1980s while Madrid's mayorEnrique Tierno Galván(PSOE) was in office, nurturing the cultural-musical movement known asLa Movida.Nowadays, theMalasañaarea is known for itsalternativescene.
The area ofChuecahas also become a hot spot in the Madrilenian nightlife, especially for the gay population. Chueca is known as gay quarter, comparable to theCastro Districtin San Francisco.
The city has venues for performing alternative art and expressive art. They are mostly located in the centre of the city, including in Ópera, Antón Martín,ChuecaandMalasaña. There are also several festivals in Madrid, including the Festival of Alternative Art, and the Festival of the Alternative Scene.
The neighbourhood ofMalasaña, as well as Antón Martín andLavapiés, hosts several bohemian cafés/galleries. These cafés are typified with period or retro furniture or furniture found on the street, a colourful, nontraditional atmosphere inside, and usually art displayed each month by a new artist, often for sale. Cafés include the retro caféLolinaand bohemian cafésLa Ida,La PacaandCafé de la Luzin Malasaña,La Piolain Huertas andCafé OlmoandAguardientein Lavapiés.
In the neighbourhood of Lavapiés, there are also "hidden houses", which are illegal bars or abandoned spaces where concerts, poetry readings andthe famous Spanishbotellón(a street party or gathering that is now illegal but rarely stopped).
TheAuditorio Nacional de Músicais the main venue for classical music concerts in Madrid. It is home to theSpanish National Orchestra, theChamartín Symphony Orchestraand the venue for the symphonic concerts of theCommunity of Madrid Orchestraand theMadrid Symphony Orchestra. It is also the principal venue for orchestras on tour playing in Madrid.
TheTeatro Realis the main opera house in Madrid, located just in front of theRoyal Palace, and its resident orchestra is theMadrid Symphony Orchestra.The theatre stages around seventeen opera titles (both own productions and co-productions with other major European opera houses) per year, as well as two or three major ballets and several recitals.
TheTeatro de la Zarzuelais mainly devoted toZarzuela(the Spanish traditional musical theatre genre), as well asoperettaandrecitals.The resident orchestra of the theatre is theCommunity of Madrid Orchestra.
TheTeatro Monumentalis the concert venue of theRTVE Symphony Orchestra.
Other concert venues for classical music are the Fundación Joan March and theAuditorio 400, devoted to contemporary music.
The local feast par excellence is the Day ofIsidore the Laborer(San Isidro Labrador), the patron Saint of Madrid, celebrated on 15 May. It is apublic holiday. According to tradition, Isidro was a farmworker and well manufacturer born in Madrid in the late 11th century, who lived a pious life and whose corpse was reportedly found to beincorruptin 1212. Already very popular among the madrilenian people, as Madrid became the capital of the Hispanic Monarchy in 1561 the city council pulled efforts to promote his canonization; the process started in 1562.Isidro was beatified in 1619 and the feast day set on 15 May(he was finally canonized in 1622).
On 15 May the Madrilenian people gather around theHermitage of San Isidro[es]and thePrairie of San Isidro[es](on the right-bank of theManzanares) often dressed with checkered caps (parpusas[es]) and kerchiefs (safos)characteristic of thechulaposand chulapas, dancingchotisandpasodobles, eatingrosquillasandbarquillos.
The Madrilenian LGBT Pride has grown to become the event bringing the most people together in the city each yearas well as one of the most important Pride celebrations worldwide.
Madrid's Pride Parade began in 1977, in the Chueca neighbourhood, which also marked the beginning of the gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual rights movement after being repressed for forty years in a dictatorship.This claiming of LGBT rights has allowed the Pride Parade in Madrid to grow year after year, becoming one of the best in the world. In 2007, this was recognised by the European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA) when Madrid hostedEuroPride. It was hailed by the then President of the EPOA as "the best EuroPride in history".In 2017, Madrid celebrated the 40th anniversary of their first Pride Parade by hosting the WorldPride Madrid 2017. Numerous conferences, seminars and workshops as well as cultural and sports activities took place at the festival, the event being a "kids and family pride" and a source of education. More than one million people attended the pride's central march.The main purpose of the celebration was presenting Madrid and the Spanish society in general as a multicultural, diverse, and tolerant community.The 2018Madrid Prideroughly had 1.5 million participants.
Since Spain legalisedsame-sex marriagein July 2005,Madrid has become one of the largest hot spots for LGBT culture. With about 500 businesses aimed toward the LGBT community, Madrid has become a "Gateway of Diversity".
Despite often being labelled as "having no tradition" by foreigners,theCarnivalwas popular in Madrid already in the 16th century. However, during the Francoist dictatorship the carnival was under government ban and the feasts suffered a big blow.It has been slowly recovering since then.
Other signalled days include the regional day (2 May) commemorating theDos de Mayo Uprising(a public holiday), the feasts of San Antonio de la Florida (13 June), the feast of the Virgen de la Paloma (circa 15 August) or the day of the co-patron of Madrid, theVirgin of Almudena(9 November), although the latter's celebrations are rather religious in nature.
The most important musical event in the city is theMad Coolfestival; created in 2016, it reached an attendance of240,000during the three-day long schedule of the 2018 edition.
Madrid hosts the largestplaza de toros(bullring) in Spain,Las Ventas, established in 1929. Las Ventas is considered by many to be the world centre of bullfighting and has aseating capacityof almost 25,000. Madrid'sbullfightingseason begins in March and ends in October. Bullfights are held every day during the festivities ofSan Isidro(Madrid'spatron saint) from mid May to early June, and every Sunday, andpublic holiday, the rest of the season. The style of the plaza isNeo-Mudéjar. Las Ventas also hosts music concerts and other events outside of the bullfighting season. There is great controversy in Madrid with bullfighting.
Real Madrid, founded in 1902, compete inLa Ligaand play their home games at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium. The club is one of the most widely supported teams in the world and their supporters are referred to asMadridistasorMerengues(Meringues). Real's supporters in Madrid are often believed to be constituted principally of members of the middle classes, however, this claim is in dispute and has not been proved. It has also been suggested that a large proportion of Real Madrid's fans are members of the working class.The club was selected as thebest club of the 20th century, being the fifthmost valuable sports clubin the world and themost successful Spanish football clubwith a total of 104 official titles (this includes a record 15European Cupsand a record 36 La Liga trophies).
Atlético Madrid, founded in 1903, also compete in La Liga and play their home games at theMetropolitano Stadium. The club is well-supported in the city, having the third national fan base in Spain and their supporters are referred to asAtléticosorColchoneros(The Mattressers). Atlético is believed to draw its support mostly from working class citizens.The club is considered anelite European team, having won threeUEFA Europa Leaguetitles and reached threeEuropean Cup finals. Domestically, Atletico have won eleven league titles and tenCopa del Reys.
Rayo Vallecano, founded in 1924, are the third most important football team of the city, based in theVallecasneighborhood. They currently compete in La Liga, having secured promotion in 2021. The club's fans tend to be very left-wing and are known asBuccaneers.
Getafe CF, founded in 1983, also compete in La Liga and play their home games at theEstadio Coliseum. The club was promoted to La Liga for the first time in 2004, and participated in the top level of Spanish football for twelve years between 2004 and 2016, and again since 2017.
CD Leganés, founded in 1928, compete inSegunda Divisionand play their home games at theEstadio Municipal de Butarque. In the 2015–16 season, for the first time in their history, Leganés earned promotion to La Liga. They remained in the top flight for four seasons, reaching a peak of 13th in 2018–19, before relegation in the last game of the following season, a 2–2 home draw with Real Madrid.
Madrid has hosted five European Cup/Champions League finals: four at the Santiago Bernabéu, and the2019 finalat the Metropolitano. The Bernabéu also hosted theEuro 1964 Final(whichSpainwon) and the1982 FIFA World Cup Final.
Real Madrid Baloncesto, founded in 1931, compete inLiga ACBand play their home games at thePalacio de Deportes(WiZink Center). Real Madrid's basketball section, similar to its football team, is the most successful team in Europe, with a record 11EuroLeaguetitles. Domestically, they have clinched a record 36 league titles and a record 28Copa del Reys.
Club Baloncesto Estudiantes, founded in 1948, compete inLEB Oroand also play their home games at the Palacio de Deportes (WiZink Center). Until 2021, Estudiantes was one of only three teams that have never been relegated fromSpain's top division. Historically, its achievements include three cup titles and four league runners-up placements.
Madrid has hosted sixEuropean Cup/EuroLeague finals, the last two at the Palacio de Deportes. The city also hosted the final matches for the1986and2014FIBA World Cups, and theEuroBasket 2007final (all held at the Palacio de Deportes).
The main annual international event incycling, theVuelta a España(La Vuelta), is one of the three worldwide prestigious three-week-longGrand Tours, and its final stages takes place in Madrid on the first Sunday of September. Intennis, the city hostsMadrid Open, both male and female versions, played on clay court. The event is part of the nineATP Masters 1000and nineWTA 1000 tournaments. It is held during the first week of May in theCaja Mágica. Additionally, Madrid hosts the finals of the major tournament for men's national teams,Davis Cup, since2019.
Formula 1announced that Madrid will be hosting the 2026Spanish Grand Prixaround theIFEMAcomplex which includes the F1 Exhibition Centre and is close to theEstadio Alfredo Di Stéfanoas well as theCiudad Real Madrid.
Education in Spainis free, and compulsory from 6 to 16 years. Theeducation systemis called LOE (Ley Orgánica de Educación).
Madrid is home to many public andprivate universities. Some of them are among the oldest in the world, and many of them are the most prestigious universities in Spain.
TheNational Distance Education University(Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia; UNED) has as its mission the public service of higher education through the modality of distance education. At more than 205,000 students (2015), UNED has the largest student population in Spain and is one of the largest universities in Europe. Since 1972, UNED has sought to translate into action the principle of equal opportunity in access to higher education through a methodology based on the principles of distance learning and focused on the needs of the student.
TheComplutense University of Madrid(Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM) is the second largest university in Spain after UNED and one of the oldest universities in the world. It has over 11,000 staff members and a student population of 117,000. Most of the academic staff is Spanish. It is located on two campuses, the main one ofCiudad Universitariain theMoncloa-Aravacadistrict, and the secondary campus of Somosaguas, located outside the city limits inPozuelo de Alarcónand founded in 1971.The Complutense University of Madrid was founded inAlcalá de Henares, old Complutum, by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499. Nevertheless, its real origin dates back to 1293, when KingSancho IV of Castilebuilt the General Schools of Alcalá, which would give rise to Cisnero's Complutense University. Between 1509 and 1510, five schools were already operative:Artes y Filosofía(Arts and Philosophy),Teología(Theology),Derecho Canónico(Canonical Laws),Letras(Liberal Arts) andMedicina(Medicine). In 1836, during the reign ofIsabel II, the university was moved to Madrid, where it took the name of Central University and was located at San Bernardo Street. Subsequently, in 1927, a newUniversity City(Ciudad Universitaria) was planned to be built in the district of Moncloa-Aravaca, in lands handed over by the KingAlfonso XIIIto this purpose. TheSpanish Civil Warturned the University City into a war zone, causing the destruction of several schools in the area, as well as the loss of part of its rich scientific, artistic and bibliographic heritage. In 1970 the Government reformed higher education, and the Central University became the Complutense University of Madrid. It was then that the new campus at Somosaguas was created to house the new School of Social Sciences. The old Alcalá campus was reopened as the independent UAH,University of Alcalá, in 1977. Complutense also serves a population of students who select Madrid for theirstudy abroadperiod. Students from the United States, for example, might go to Madrid on a program like API (Academic Programs International) and study at Complutense for an intense immersion in the Spanish language. After studying at the university, students return home with fluency in Spanish as well as an enhanced understanding of culture and diversity.
TheTechnical University of Madrid(Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; UPM), is the top technical university in Spain. It is the result of the merger of differentTechnical Schoolsof Engineering. It shares the Ciudad Universitaria campus with the UCM, while it also owns several schools scattered in the city centre and additional campuses in thePuente de Vallecasdistrict and in the neighbouring municipality ofBoadilla del Monte.
TheAutonomous University of Madrid(Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; UAM) was instituted under the leadership of the physicist,Nicolás Cabrera. The Autonomous University is widely recognised for its research strengths intheoretical physics. Known simply asLa Autónomaby locals, its main site is the Cantoblanco Campus, located in the north of the municipality, close to its boundaries with the neighbouring municipalities ofAlcobendas,San Sebastián de los ReyesandTres Cantos.
Located on the main site are the Rectorate building and the Faculties of Science, Philosophy andFine Arts, Law,Economic ScienceandBusiness Studies, Psychology, Higher School ofComputing Scienceand Engineering, and the Faculty ofTeacher Trainingand Education. The UAM is considered the institution to study law in Spain,TheMedical Schoolis sited outside the main site and beside the Hospital Universitario La Paz.
The privateComillas Pontifical University(Universidad Pontificia Comillas, UPC) has its rectorate and several faculties in Madrid. The privateNebrija Universityis also based in Madrid. Some of the large public universities headquartered in the surrounding municipalities also have secondary campuses in Madrid proper: it is the case of theCharles III University of Madrid(Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, UC3M) with its main site inGetafeand an educational facility inEmbajadores(after signing a deal with the regional government and the city council in 2011)and theKing Juan Carlos University(Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, URJC) having its main site inMóstolesand a secondary campus inVicálvaro. The privateCamilo José Cela University(Universidad Camilo José Cela, UCJC) has a postgraduate school inChamberí.
IE Business School(formerly Instituto de Empresa) has its main campus on the border of the Chamartín and Salamanca districts of Madrid. IE Business School recently ranked #1 in WSJ's 2009 rankings for Best MBA Programs under 2 years. It scored ahead of usual stalwarts,INSEADandIMD, giving it top billing among International MBA programs. Although based inBarcelona, bothIESE Business SchoolandESADE Business Schoolalso have Madrid campuses. These three schools are the top-rankedbusiness schoolsin Spain, consistently rank among the top 20 business schools globally, and offerMBAprograms (in English or Spanish) as well as other business degrees. Madrid is a good destination for business schools and a city much desired by foreign students. The most important Spanish business schools (IESE, IE, ESADE) have invested 125 million euros in expanding their campuses in Madrid in 2020.
Other Madrid business schools and universities that have MBA programs include:EAE Business School(in English and Spanish), theCharles III University of Madridthrough theCentro de Ampliación de Estudios(in English or Spanish); theComillas Pontifical University(in Spanish only) and theTechnical University of Madrid(in Spanish only).
In 2018, Madrid banned all non-resident vehicles from its downtown areas.
Madrid is served by several roads and three modes of public surface transport, and two airports, one of them being almost two different airports. A great many important road, rail and air links converge on the capital, providing effective connections with other parts of the metropolitan region and with the rest of Spain and other parts of Europe.
In the 1960s, sweeping urban reforms were promoted to accommodate Madrid to the private car (most notably the removal of boulevards and the incorporation of overpasses), in some ways similarly to other European cities, but in the distinct context of poverty of public debate, which was limited by a dictatorship putting its own interests and those of its clientelist networks before other concerns when it came to alter the urban fabric, thereby marginizalizing the pedestrian.
Cars (except for hybrid and electric vehicles as well as residents and guests) were banned in theMadrid Centrallow-emission zone in 2018.Pollution in the area dropped following the ban.In 2016 it was announced that Madrid will stop the use of all diesel powered cars and trucks within the next decade.
Madrid is the centre of the most important roads of Spain. Already in 1720, theReglamento General de Postasenacted byPhilip Vconfigurated the basis of a radial system of roads in the country.
Madrid features a number of the most prominentautovías(fast dualled highways), part of theState Road Network[es]. Clock-wise starting from the north: theA-1(Madrid–Irún–French border),A-2(Madrid–Zaragoza–Barcelona–French border),A-3(Madrid–Valencia),A-4(Madrid–Córdoba–Sevilla–Cádiz),A-5(Madrid–Badajoz–Portuguese border) and theA-6(Madrid–A Coruña). TheA-42, another highway connecting Madrid toToledo, is also part of the State Network.
TheM-607connects Madrid to thePuerto de Navacerrada. It is a fast dualled highway in its initial stretch from Madrid toColmenar Viejo, and part of theRegional Road Network[es](in relation to the concerning administration, not to the technical features of the road).
Due to the large amount of traffic, new toll highways were built parallel to the main national freeways. Their names areR-2[es],R-3,R-4andR-5[es]and they were intended to provide a paid alternative to the often overcrowded free radials. However, except the R-3, they do not end close to the M-30 innermost ring road, as the R-2 finishes in the M-40, the R-4 in the M-50 and the R-5 in the M-40.
Also Madrid road network includes fourorbitalones at different distances from the centre. The innermost ring-road, theM-30, is the only one with its path strictly located within the Madrid municipal limits. It is owned by theMadrid City Counciland operated by Madrid Calle 30, S.A. It is the busiest Spanish road, famous for its traffic jams. A significant portion of the southern part runs underground parallel to theManzanares, with tunnel sections of more than 6 km (3.7 mi) in length and 3 to 6 lanes in each direction.
The second ring-road, theM-40(part of the State Road Network) circles the city, while also extending to other surrounding municipalities. A NW stretch of the road runs underground, below the southern reaches of theMonte de El Pardoprotected area.
TheM-45partially circles the city, connecting the M-40 and M-50, passing through areas like Villaverde and Vallecas in the southeast of the municipality.
TheM-50, the Madrid's outer ring road, connects municipalities and cities in the metropolitan area, likeFuenlabrada,Móstoles,Getafe,Leganésin the south andBoadilla del MonteandLas Rozasin the west.
There are four major components of public transport, with manyintermodal interchanges. TheConsorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid(CRTM) coordinates thepublic transportoperations across multiple providers in the region,harmonizing fares for the commuter rail, rapid transit, light rail and bus transport services provided by different operators.
The Metro is therapid transitsystem serving Madrid as well as some suburbs. Founded in 1919, it underwent extensive enlargement in the second half of the 20th century.It is the third longest metro system in Europe (afterMoscowandLondon) at 294 km (183 mi). As of 2019, it has 302 stations.Only the Métro of Paris has more stations. It features 13 lines; 12 of them are colour-coded and numbered 1 to 12 (Line 1,Line 2,Line 3,Line 4,Line 5,Line 6,Line 7,Line 8,Line 9,Line 10,Line 11andLine 12), while the other one, the shortRamal(R), links Ópera to Príncipe Pío.
Cercanías Madrid is thecommuter railservice used for longer distances from the suburbs and beyond into Madrid, consisting of nine lines totalling 578 km (359 mi) and more than 90 stations. With fewer stops inside the centre of the city they are faster than the Metro, but run less frequently. This system is connected with Metro (presently 22 stations) and Light Metro. The lines are named:C-1,C-2,C-3,C-4,C-5,C-7,C-8,C-9,C-10, respectively.
There is a dense network ofbusroutes, run by the municipal companyEmpresa Municipal de Transportes(or EMT Madrid), which operates 24 hours a day; special services called "N lines" are run during nighttime. The special Airport Express Shuttle line connecting the airport with the city centre features distinctively yellow buses. In addition to the urban lines operated by the EMT, the green buses (interurbanos) connect the city with the suburbs. The later lines, while also regulated by the CRTM, are often run by private operators.
Almost half of all journeys in the metropolitan area are made on public transport, a very high proportion compared with most European cities.Madrid has 15723 taxis around all the city.
The taxicabs are regulated by a specific sub-division of taxi service, a body dependent of theMadrid City Council. The authorisation entails a badge for the vehicle and a license for the driver, who has to be older than 18.Since the 1970s, the fleet of taxis has remained stable roughly around16,000vehicles, accounting for15,600in 2014.
In terms of longer-distance transport, Madrid is the central node of the system ofautovías, giving the city direct fast road links with most parts of Spain and with France and Portugal. It is also the focal point ofSpain's high-speed rail system. The most demanded train routes link Madrid toBarcelona,Valencia,Seville, andMálaga.There are now 2,900 km (1,800 mi) of high-speed rail track, connecting Madrid with 17 provincial capitals, and further lines are under construction.
Spanish companies are designing new high-speed trains which will be the new-generationAVE, much like the currentTalgo AVRIL.
Aside from the local and regional bus commuting services, Madrid is also a node for long-distance bus connections to many national destinations. TheEstación Sur de Autobuses[es]in Méndez Álvaro, the busiest bus station in the country,also features international bus connections to cities inMoroccoas well as to diverse European destinations.
Madrid is also home to the Madrid-Barajas Airport, the sixth-busiest airport in Europe, handling over 60 million passengers annually, of whom 70% are international travellers, in addition to the majority of Spain'sair freightmovements.Barajas is a major European hub, largely westward facing, specialized in theAmericas, with a comparatively lighter connectivity to Asia.Madrid's location at the centre of theIberian Peninsulamakes it a majorlogisticsbase.Madrid-Barajas Airport has 4 terminals plus terminal 4S, called the Satellite terminal; this terminal is 2 km (1.2 mi) from terminal 4 and connected by an AutomatedPeople MoverSystem (APM) train.
The smaller (and older)Cuatro Vientos Airporthas a dual military-civilian use and hosts several aviation schools. TheTorrejón Air Base, located in the neighbouring municipality ofTorrejón de Ardoz, also has a secondary civilian use aside from the military purpose.
Madrid hosts121 foreign embassiesaccredited before Spain,comprising the totality of resident embassies in the country. The headquarters of the SpanishMinistry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, theSpanish Agency for International Development Cooperationand theDiplomatic Schoolare also located in the city.
Madrid hosts the seat of international organizations such as the United Nations'World Tourism Organization(UNWTO), theIbero-American General Secretariat(SEGIB), theOrganization of Ibero-American States(OEI), theInternational Youth Organism for Iberoamerica[es](OIJ), theIbero-American Organization of Social Security[es](OISS), theInternational Organization of Securities Commissions(IOSCO), theClub of Madridand theInternational Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas(ICCAT).
Madrid has reached twin towns, sister city 'agreements' (acuerdos) with:
Madrid has reached twin towns, sister city 'minutes' (actas) with:
Madrid is part of theUnion of Ibero-American Capital Citiesestablishing brotherly relations with the following cities through the issuing of a collective statement in October 1982: