!!!Madrid

by Stanislav Sedov and Dmitry Moiseenko,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

23 January 2014

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Being the capital of Spain and its largest city, Madrid is also a
popular tourist destination. Variety of monuments from different epochs,
rich history, and unique culture attract tourists from around the world.
Madrid's official symbol is a bear eating fruits from a strawberry tree.
The statue reflects the scale of the city growth, and also serves as a
reminder of the times when wild bears roamed where Madrid's landmarks
are located now.

[{Image src='01_Santa María la Real de La Almudena Cathedral.jpg' caption='Santa María la Real de La Almudena Cathedral' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='591'}]

Madrid built on a plateau at an altitude of 650 meters. In 852 its steep
location inspired the emir Muhammad I to build Alcazar, a Muslim
fortress of great importance. Over the course of numerous wars, the
citadel changed its owners several times. In 1083 Alfonso VI conquered
Alcazar, and the city became a stronghold of the Christians in their
struggle against the Moors.

[{Image src='02_Metropolis Building.jpg' caption='Metropolis Building' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='531'}]

Five centuries later the city of Madrid was proclaimed the capital of
State and Empire. It caused a high level of migration: the population of
Madrid has increased threefold (up to 60 thousand people) during few
years, which promoted active growth of construction industry, especially
in residential areas. Although the Kingdom of Spain lost most of its
power during 17th century, the city of Madrid continued enjoying its
"golden" age for many more years. Lope de Vega, Cervantes, Calderon,
Diego Velázquez, and Francisco de Zurbaran lived and worked in Madrid. A
lot of efforts were put to developing arts and science: El Prado Museum,
Royal Botanic Gardens, and Royal Academies were established here; and
Royal glass, tapestry, and porcelain factories gave a significant boost
to the industry development. As a result, by the end of 18th century
Madrid's population was 170 thousand people.

[{Image src='03_Above the Plaza Mayor.jpg' caption='Above the Plaza Mayor' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='636'}]

In 1808 Napoleon's army took Madrid; the Liberation war became Spanish
Revolution. Next grand remodeling of Madrid happened at the end of 19th
— beginning of 20th centuries, as if the city has decided to start its
life from a clean slate: many old city walls and monasteries were
demolished; wide boulevards took place of old city streets, and new
Modern-style buildings appeared along the roads. There were electricity,
telephone communication, city trams, and subway system in Madrid. And
finally, Telefónica Company erected first sky-scrapper in the capital of
Spain in 1929.

[{Image src='04_Cuatro Torres Business Area.jpg' caption='Cuatro Torres Business Area' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='532'}]

Some of the historical monuments were damaged during Civil War. However
starting 1950s the city of Madrid entered its period of growth again.
Saving landmarks of its legendary past, Madrid went on building new
exciting architectural masterpieces.

[{Image src='05_Cibeles Palace, or the Palace of Communication.jpg' caption='Cibeles Palace, or the Palace of Communication' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='449'}]

Today's population of Spain's capital is over three and a half million
people. The city of Madrid is located right in the middle of the
country. Puerta del Sol, the central city square, features Zero
Kilometer sign, which is the beginning of the radial network of all main
Spanish roads.

[{Image src='06_Las Ventas bullring.jpg' caption='Las Ventas bullring' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='621'}]

Located 300 kilometers away from the sea, the city of Madrid doesn't
have its own beaches. However, comparing to other European capitol
cities, Madrid has a leading number of parks. The splendid beauty of
Madrid's nature and cultural landmarks are available for you on our
virtual panoramas. Enjoy!

[{Image src='07_The Gate of Europe towers.jpg' caption='The Gate of Europe towers' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='705'}]

\\ \\
[16 Panoramas of Madrid|Geography/Europe/Spain/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Madrid]










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