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Madrid is a modern city that lacks the historical richness
of Rome or Paris, but it has a lively atmosphere that,
given the opportunity to work its magic, cannot leave
you indifferent. This city of three million people is
placed on a plateau, some 700 meters above sea level,
making it the highest capital of Europe.
Leaving aside the great art museums
and the splendour of the Plaza Mayor, the Palacio Real
and the Parque Retiro, the essence of Madrid lies in the
life on the streets. Everyone seems to stay out late and
in this sense it is a city more to be lived than seen. |
Madrid was little more than a fortified
village when King Felipe II decided in 1561 to make it
the permanent capital of the Spanish empire. With the
arrival of Carlos III in the 18th century, the city was
further developed and it was during this era that the
Palacio Real was built.
During the 19th century, Madrid
was taken over by Napoleon, but his reign didnīt leave
many traces. As Joseph Bonaparte marched out, Fernando
VII waltzed in, marking the restoration of the Bourbon
family to the throne.
In 1936, Francoīs troops attempted
to take Madrid for the first time. They finally succeeded
in doing so in 1939, when the civil war ended. At the
end of the Franco era, the movida (the famous nightlife
that so marks this city) once more flourished. The movida
continues to exist up to this day, making Madrid one of
the most bustling cities in Europe. |
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