APPETITE MOVES INTO NEW MADRID HQ
Madrid – a city that knows how to live. With amazing architecture, world-class art galleries, a complex and oh so proud history, incredible weather, and a nightlife that goes well into tomorrow, we’re as happy as a tourist with flip-flops and sunburn.
So, let’s have a look and some of the most interesting facts about the place we call home.
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Madrid was created around the year of 860 A.C
When the Romans came (in their own style of flip-flops) to Spain in 200 B.C., Madrid was nowhere to be seen. It was only when Muhammad I, ruler of the Arabic reign of Córdoba, chose to build a small castle in the region in the late 9th century, that it really started to take shape. On a majestic hill with an excellent surveillance view over the valley and in convenient proximity to the Manzanares river, this little citadel developed into a fortress with rapidly growing importance.
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It was made the capital city to impress a girl (sort of)
Ok so maybe we are spreading a rumour here, but we like the rumour.
The legend goes that, in the 17th century, French beauty Isabel de Valois, Felipe II’s (the king at the time) third wife, had apparently fallen in love with Madrid. So, King Felipe II moved there and made it the capital, claiming the central geographical position of Madrid and the abundance of water and game in its surroundings would be beneficial. Whatever, Felipe.
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No one knows where the name “Madrid” came from.
There are now generally two sides to the debate, one says that the name comes from the ancient Arabic word Mayrit or Magerit , which loosely translates to “Place of abundant water”. The other camp says that it comes from the Roman settlement Matrice, which was located nearby.
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Madrid is one of the greenest cities in Europe.
With the two green “lungs” of El Retiro Park and the huge Casa de Campo, Madrid is regularly listed as one of, if not the greenest capital cities around.
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The weather is great… usually.
Beautiful springs and blistering hot summers are what people generally think of when Madrid is mentioned. The high altitude (up to 700 meters) means it can be chilly in winter, but with more cloudless days than any other place in Europe, the sky is always blue and the sun is always shining.
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The official symbol of Madrid is a bear rearing up on its hind legs feasting from a strawberry tree, obviously.
Madrid’s official symbol is ‘El Oso y El Madroño’ which means ‘The Bear and The Strawberry Tree’ it shows a bear on its hind legs eating from the tree. If you are visiting, you can see a 20-tonne statue of the symbol in the famous Puerta del Sol.
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It’s really high.
Most people don’t consider Madrid when thinking of cities perched up among the clouds, But they should! Madrid lies at the highest altitude of any capital in Europe at 2,188 ft!