Madrid and Castilla: History of Fernamdo and Elizabeth

In the center of Spain or the main part of Spain rest two major places. The first is the area of Castilla, second is the city of Madrid. Fernando and Elizabeth both were heirs to their land and they played very important roles in bringing lands together and the development of the place as well. So as you read on I will describe the history of Castilla and Madrid, also about the history of the Queen of Castilla and the King of Aragon.

The city of Madrid as we know it today was established under Muslim rule. The city was said to been created under Emir Mohamed I (852-886). The city was originally made for a fortress and a bunker to protect its Muslim citizen from Christian attacks. Over 200-300 years the city was attacked repeatedly. So during these times the city changed from Arab to Christian rule. However finally in 1083, Alfonso VI conquered Madrid and the remains of the Arab buildings were destroyed. The city was untouched and was used for hunting grounds for the rich. However in 1561, Philip II built his royal court in Madrid. Later Philip II declared Madrid the capital and started the construction of many important buildings, which brought to the town many nobles and state officials. From here Madrid started expanding rapidly.

During the golden age, this was after the discovery of the Americas; Madrid started to expand rapidly due to the gold that the city received from the colonies set up in the Americas. In the 18th century under the rule of Charles III the town started to change its appearance. Many important constructions such as the Puerta de Alcala, Paseo de la Castellana, El Prado and the Royal Palace were also built. During 1808, Napoleon and his troops entered Madrid and the few people who could, tried to defend. Today there is a central square named after this resistance. The rest of the 19th century the city of Madrid expanded. During the beginning of the 20th century Spain was in an economic crisis due to the Spanish civil war. However under the dictatorship of General Franco the city slowly recovered. The city of Madrid that we know today went through a lot before it could become this prosperous city, However now the city is the main attraction and center of Spain. The city as of now is a government made up of a mayor and a 52-member city council, instead of a monarchy or dictatorship as before.