Why is madrid the capital city of spain?
I’m Spanish. Madrid is not in a desert at all. Madrid wasn’t a major city before it was designated the capital. Before, Valladolid, Toledo o Sevilla had been the capitals of Spain. Toledo was the capital before Madrid took over. Madrid is the capital of Spain because in 1561, Felipe II (king of Spain) decided so. At that time Madrid was a small village. It’s kind of a mystery why he did so. What I was teach in History is that Madrid was chosen because is geographically in the center of the Iberian Peninsula. The King had also problems in the 3 cities I mentioned (Sevilla too far in the south, Valladolid citizens caused problems to his father and Toledo missed a religious power). Madrid has no major rivers in the city but it’s not in the desert at all. Spain has a Mediterranean climate in the most part and it’s very dry and hot in the summer but it’s not a desert. A small river crosses the south of the city and it’s very close to the mountains.
Madrid’s royal stock began to rise by the 14th century, and the city would eventually become the seat of the Royal Court. Although social unrest dogged the monarchy, they looked to the growing city as a prestigious retreat. By the 15th century, Madrid had become a center for trade and finance, and it was around this time that the original sites for the Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor began to take shape. At this point, the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were united by Isabel and Fernando, and a period of relative political stability began. This was also the time of the ‘discovery’ of the New World by Columbus and of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Madrid would finally be declared capital of the Spanish Empire in 1561. Madrid’s population was then about 15,000-strong.
