Madrid

Brief information

Madrid is not by the sea, but in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, at an elevation of 667 meters. Because of this, Spain's capital is read not as a port city, but as an inland hub: railways, high-speed highways, and routes through one of the world's largest airports converge here. The small Manzanares River does not define the city's scale, but it recalls the place around which people lived long before the city appeared.

Madrid's history begins not with ceremonial squares, but with the fortress of Mayrit, built to protect the approaches to Toledo. Later the city became the capital of the kingdom, and under Charles III it acquired a more “European” appearance: streets were paved, lighting was installed, and the water supply was improved. That is why Madrid makes especially visible the contrast between a former defensive point, a royal capital, and a modern administrative center.

What to notice right away

In Madrid, it makes sense to compare several urban spaces: they show how power, roads, and spectacles changed the shape of the center. Puerta del Sol now serves as the zero point for road distances in Spain, but its name is linked to the city gates of the 15th century. The modern elliptical square preserves the memory of the wall no longer through a wall itself, but through its name and its position in the city center.

Plaza Mayor is arranged differently: it is a rectangular square with 136 buildings and 437 balconies, from which royal ceremonies, tournaments, bullfights, and autos-da-fé were once watched. At Plaza de Cibeles, attention shifts to the ensemble around the fountain with the chariot of the goddess Cybele: a neoclassical bank, Buenavista Palace, Linares Palace, and the Neo-Baroque post office building gather different eras around a single point. Plaza de Oriente adds another principle: in front of the Royal Palace stands an equestrian sculpture of Philip IV, while on the other side is the opera house, so the square connects palace power, monument, and public stage.