Top 10 Historical Facts that happened in Madrid

Top 10 Historical Facts that happened in Madrid

The city of Madrid is centrally located in Spain and it is the third largest city in the Europe Union. It was founded by the Emir Muhammad at the end of the IX century but historians the city was inhabited during the Stone Age. The River Manzanares made the region suitable for human settlement.

Madrid, originally known as Mayrit meaning place of abundant water, is undoubtedly a hub of mixtures of cultures having being home to both Muslims, Christians and Jews. The city became the European Capital of Culture in 1992. The vibrant and bright city of Madrid has a rich culture and history due to its diverse inhabitants. Here are the top 10 historical facts that happened and shaped Madrid to what it is today.

1. Madrid officially becomes a town in 1202

Alfonso VI of Castile – Wikipedia

In 1085, Christian king Alfonso VI conquered the city of Madrid by capturing the small Arabic palace and citadel. The city was assimilated into the kingdom of Castile as a property of the Crown. The Christians who had now occupied Madrid removed all symbols of the Muslim and occupied the City Centre thus displacing the Muslims.

The city began to thrive and was given the name ‘Villa’ thus winning the right to be a city with representation in the courts of Castile. In 1202, Alfonso VIII gave Madrid its first charter to regulate the municipal council thus Madrid was granted officially status of a town. The city’s administrative district extended from the Jarama in the east to the river Guadarrama in the west.

2. The treaty of Madrid in 1526

François Ier Louvre – Wikipedia

Emperor Charles V of Spain captured King Francis I of France during the battle of Pavia in February 1525. Francis I remained a prisoner of Charles V for almost an year. To secure his realize Francis I had to agree to collaborate with Charles V on a treaty.

In the treaty France renounced claims to its lands in Italy, surrendered parts of France to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and abandoned sovereignty over Flanders and Artois. Francis I was also required to organize the marriage of his sister to Charles V. The treaty was signed on 14^th January 1526 and France king was released.

Upon his release Francis I announced his refusal to ratify the treaty as he crossed the border. France entered into an alliance with the League of Cognac with the sole purpose to dethrone Charles V.

3. Citizens rebel against Carlos I in 1520

Carlos I of Spain – Wikipedia

The Revolt of the Comuneros occurred throughout the city and country between 1520 and 1521. Ever since the death of Queen Isabella I in 1504 there was political instability in Crown of Castile. The citizens felt like none of the nobles left behind was fit enough to rule over them especially Charles the heir of Queen Isabel I who had been raised in the Netherlands.

The revolt was against the rule of Charles I and his administration. The army of Comuneros was able to capture the cities of Valladolid, Tordesilla and Toledo. The revolt came to an end when in October 1521 when Maria Pacheco, leader of the captured Toledo city, surrender.

4. Madrid becomes a capital city in 1561

Portrait of Philip II of Spain by Sofonisba Anguissola – Wikipedia

In 1561, King Philip II relocated this royal court to Madrid. At the time Madrid was still a small town but upon the arrival of the king Madrid started to develop. The developments made by the king made the region attractive to settlers and developers who further contributed to the grand growth of the city.

The Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon merged into modern Spain through the marriage of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. King Philip II left Toledo, the former capital of Seville, and settled in Madrid due to its central position.

5. Napoleon capture Madrid in 1808

Napoleon Wars – Wikipedia

Napoleon on 16^th February 1808 under the pretext of sending reinforcements to the French in Portugal attacked Spain and began the Peninsular War. Four days into the invasion Joachim Murat and his army were able to invade Madrid. On 15^th June Napoleon declared Joseph, his brother, the king and denied Ferdinand his birth right.

This upset Madrid citizens and anti-French revolts broke out across the city of Madrid. The British took advantage of the situation and by 1813 the French had been pushed out of Spain. Ferdinand was then declared King.

6. 1^st Spanish Republic in 1783

Amadeo I king of Spain

It was a short-lived political regime that got rid of the monarchy system and allowed the formation of a parliamentary government in Madrid. It lasted between 11^th February 1873 and 29^th December 1874 before its collapse.

The foundation of the Republic came on 10^th February 1873 when Amedeo I was renounced as king by the parliament majority made up of radicals, republicans and democrats. Spain Republic was governed by four distinct presidents; Estanislao Figueras, Francesc Pi I Margall, Nicolas Salmeron and Emilio Castelar. This period was characterized by profound political and social instability and violence.

7. Monarchy system is returned in 1875

General Arsenio Martínez Campos – Wikipedia

The Restoration or Bourbon Restoration was returned to Spain to end the political instability witnessed during the first Spanish republic. It began on 29^th December 1874 and ended on 14^th April 1931.

After a coup d’état by Martinez Campos, he declared Alfonso XII as king of Spain. In 1876 a constitution declaring Spain a constitutional monarchy was passed.

8. 2^nd Spanish Republic in 1931

Republique allegorie – Wikipedia

The 2^nd Spanish Republic was declared on 14 April 1931, after the dethroning of Alfonso XIII, and it lost the Spanish Civil War on 1 April 1939 to the rebel faction. The rebel fraction establish a military dictatorship under the rule of Francisco Franco.

The Second Republic falls into four distinct phases: the Provisional Government, which lasted until the religious issue forced its resignation in October 1931, the governments of the Left Republicans and Socialists, which ruled from October 1931 until their defeated in the elections of November 1933,  the conservative government of the Radical Republicans and the Roman Catholic right from November 1933 to February 1936 and the government of the Popular Front and “the descent into violence” that culminated in the military uprising of July 1936.

9. Spanish Civil War begins in 1936

Spanish Civil War – Wikipedia

The military upraise began in Morocco on July 17^th 1936 and quickly spread to Spain. It was between the Nationalists who were the rebels aided by Italy and Nazi German and the Republicans who received aid from the Soviet Union as well as International Brigades.

The civil war was heavy felt in Madrid where the burning of convents initiated after riots in the city in May 1931 worsened the political environment. It was also a stronghold of the Republican faction from July 1936 and became an international symbol of anti-fascist struggle during the conflict. The city fell to the Francoists in March 1939.

Madrid made history by becoming the first city in Europe to be bombed by airplanes. The civil war came to an end in March 28^th 1939.

10. The rise of Madrid

Dictator Francisco Franco – Wikipedia

The dictator Francisco Franco concentrated all Spanish national institutions in Madrid. During this time the city experienced unprecedented, extraordinary development in terms of population and wealth, becoming the largest GDP city in Spain, and ranking third in Western Europe.

Even after the death of Francisco and the transition to a constitutional monarchy the city continued to grow with King Juan Carlos I established his home here. Today the city of Madrid remains a major administrative, tourist and industrial centre.