MADRID, the capital of Spain and of the province of Madrid, on the left bank of the river Manzanares, a right-hand tributary of the Jarama, which flows south into the Tagus. Pop. (1877), 397,816; (1900), 539,835; (193o), 952,832. The earliest authentic historical mention of the town (Majrit, Majoritum) occurs in the Arab chronicle, and does not take us farther back than to the first half of the loth century. The place was finally taken from the Moors by Alphonso VI. (1083), and was made a hunting-seat by Henry IV., but first rose into importance when Charles V., benefiting by its keen air, made it his occasional resi dence, Philip II. created it his capital and "only court" (iuica corte) in 1560. It is, however, only classed as a town (villa), having never received the title of city (ciudad).
Madrid is the see of an archbishop, the focus of the principal Spanish railways, the headquarters of an army corps, the seat of a university, the meeting-place of parliament, and the chief resi dence of the king, the court, and the captain-general of New Castile. It is, however, surpassed in ecclesiastical importance by Toledo and in commerce by Barcelona.
Madrid is built on an elevated and undulating plateau of sand and clay, which is bounded on the north by the Sierra Guadar rama and merges on all other sides into the barren and treeless table-land of New Castile. The highest point in Madrid is 2,372 ft. above sea-level. The city is close to the geographical centre of the peninsula, nearly equidistant from the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Owing to its high altitude and open situation it is liable to sudden and frequent variations of climate, and the daily range of temperature sometimes exceeds 5o° the total range being from io° to iio°.
The Puerta del Sol is the centre of Madrid, the largest of its many plazas, and the place of most traffic. It derived its name from the former east gate of the city, which stood here until 157o, and had on its front a representation of the sun. On its
south side stands the Palacio de la Gobernacion, or ministry of the interior, a heavy square building dating from 1768.
The Calle de Alcala, contains the Real Academia de Bellas Artes, founded in 1752 as an academy of art and music ; its col lection of paintings by Spanish masters includes some of the best-known works of Murillo. The Bank of Spain (1884-91) stands where the Calle de Alcala meets the Prado ; in the oval Plaza de Madrid, at the same point, is a fine i8th-century foun tain with a marble group representing the goddess Cybele drawn in a chariot by two lions. The Plaza de las Cortes is so called from the Congreso de los Diputados, or House of Commons, on its north side. The Plaza Mayor, built in 1619, a rectangle of about 43o ft. by 330 ft., was formerly the scene of tournaments, bull fights and autos de fe, which used to be viewed by the royal family from the balcony of one of the houses called the Pana deria (belonging to the guild of bakers). The house occupied by Cervantes from 16°6 until his death in 1616 stands at the point where it meets the Calle de Leon; in this street is the Real Aca demia de la Historia, with a valuable library and collections of mss. and plate. In the centre of the Plaza del Oriente is a fine bronze equestrian statue of Philip IV. (1621-65) ; it was designed by Velazquez and cast by Tacca.
Modern Development of the City.—The north and east of the city—the new suburbs—have developed past the Retiro park as far as the Bull-ring, and have covered all the vast space in cluded between the Retiro, the Bull-ring and the long Paseo de la Castellana. Madrid has made very rapid progress during the loth century. The underground railway (inaugurated in has facilitated the growth of garden cities, as at Carabanchel ; a new broad Ronda has been built from Atocha to the park of Moncloa ; the Manzanares has been canalized and land reclaimed along its banks; the Gran Via has been completed; the Calle de Alcala has been adorned by the construction of fine banks, a new ministry, and the magnificent general post office at the end of the street ; the Paseo de la Castellana is being prolonged to beyond Chamartin de la Rosa ; and many new parks and fine buildings have been constructed. A large new bull-ring and stadium have been opened ; a cathedral is being built in the Calle de Bailen.