Foremost among the educational institutions of Madrid is the university, with over 5000 stn dents. (See MADRID, UNIVERSITY oF.) There are also a normal school, a veterinary school, schools of commerce, engineering, architecture, music and fine arts, and the astronomical observatory, an elegant and well equipped building situated in the Parque de Madrid. Between the Parque and the Prado is the Botanical Garden. containing an immense wealth of flora as well as large her baria and other collections. Madrid is rich in libraries and museums. The National Library, in a large new building. contains about 600.000 volumes. about 30.000 manuscripts, a collection of 100.000 engravings and drawings. a fine arelae ()logical collection. and a museum of natural history. The library of the contains over 200.000 volumes, and the Marine Library has 30.000 volumes. The National :Museum of Painting and Sculpture, occupying a fine large building on the Prado. has a collection of mas terpieces rivaling those of the Louvre. Raphael, Titian. Rubens, etc., are well represented, and above all the painters of the Spanish School, Velazquez being here seen at his best. An other famous museum of Madrid is the Royal Armory, containing the richest and finest collec tion of arms in existence. Besides these are a number of minor museums. Madrid is the seat of various scientific and literary societies. chief among which are the Spanish Academy. similar in scope and purpose to the AcadPmie Francaise. and the Historical, Anthropological, and Geo graphical societies.
Madrid has a score of theatres; the most prominent are the Teatro Real. facing the Royal Palace: the Teatro de Apolo. and the Teatro de la Comedia, which is one of the most popu lar. 'The Plaza de Toros, or hull ring, is a magnificent structure built in pure Moorish style and seating over 13,000 spectators. There are also a number of large and well equipped hos pitals and asylums, and a fine new model prison. The public works of the city are in general well developed, especially the electric street railways and gas and electric light; there is also a good system of street cleaning. The water supply, however, which was formerly noted for its abun dance and purity, has not kept pace with the population, though a new reservoir was finished in 1S83 and a third is now nearing completion. The supply from the sources in Lozoya River is wholly inadequate, and in 1899 it almost gave out.
Industrially Madrid is not very active. Owing to the unfavorable situation, the cost of living is very high, and it is only the fact of its being the capital, with the numerous train of officials, courtiers, and office-seekers, that supports the large population and makes it a lively and bus thug town. Among its factories the principal is the large national tobacco factory. There are also some manufactures of jewelry, leather articles, fans. umbrellas, musical instruments, chemicals, soaps, and perfumes. The commerce of the town is more active. It is the general railroad centre for the entire country, as well as the principal store-house for the inland provinces. There are two large and a number of smaller markets, several prominent banks and commercial and insurance companies, an ex change, and a chamber of commerce. The popula tion of Madrid has trebled within the last cen tury, as may be seen from the following figures: 1787, 157.000; 1887, 470.000: 1900. 540,109.
Nothing is known of Madrid previous to the Saracen occupation. In the tenth century it ap pears as a small fortified outpost under the name of Majerit (Majoritum). It was taken from the Moors by Alfonso VI. in 1083, but was recaptured in 1109 and held for a short time by the Ahnora vides. The Cortes met in Madrid for the first time in 1329, but it was not until 1561 that the city was made the permanent capital of Spain by Philip II. On May 2, 1808, the citizens of Madrid gave the signal for the War of Inde pendence. by rising in revolt against the French general, Murat. Several hundreds of the patriots were killed in a battle on the Prado, where a monument now commemorates them. For this brave attempt the city received the title of May Hcroica l'illa. Curiously enough, though it is the largest town in the Kingdom. it has never received the title of eiudad, or city. On January 14. 1520. a treaty was concluded at Madrid be tween Charles V. and Francis 1., who was then a prisoner in the hands of his rival. Francis, hav ing secured his liberty, violated the terms of the treaty and renewed the struggle with Charles.
Consult: Valverde y Alvarez. La capital de Espana (Madrid, 1S83) ; Amador de Ins Rios, Historia de la villa y torte de Madrid (Madrid, 1861-64).