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Spain is a great European country with a Mauritanian accent (part 4)

19 July 2013 • Travel time: with 29 April 2013 on 06 May 2013
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Castile and Leon. The Red City of Astorga

We are on the road again: the green fertile hills and eucalyptus groves of Galicia are left behind, in front of us is the flat and monotonous landscape of Castile and Leon, the largest region in Spain (9.223 km² , population - 2.5 million people). The monotony of the relief is only occasionally broken by small hills. The landscape on the road to Astorga - a yellow canvas of fields and scarlet patches of plowed land - resemble the Spanish flag.

Castile and Leó n is the cradle of the Reconquista. It was from these lands that the unification of all Spanish lands and the development of the Spanish language (castellano) began. In the Middle Ages, in the northern part of the plateau there were two independent kingdoms - Leon and Castile, which were united by King Fernardo I in 1037.


The modern province of Castile and Leó n was created as a result of the independence decree of 1983, when two historical regions (Leó n and Old Castile, from which Santander and Logroñ o separated) were merged. The capital of this autonomous community is the city of Valladolid.

Astorga is a city and municipality in Spain with a population of 12 thousand people, located on the left bank of the Tuerta River. It is part of the province of Leon and is the center of the Maragateria region, which is inhabited by the Maragato tribe, ethnically different from the Spaniards. It is believed that in ancient times in Maragatheria, including the territory of present-day Astorga, lived Maragatos - a people who were engaged in breeding mules. Perhaps the Maragatos were the descendants of the North African Berbers who came to Spain during the first raids of the Moors. These people carefully guarded their individuality and traditions for many decades.

Today, during the holidays, the inhabitants of Astorga and other towns of Maragatheria dress in the traditional dress of maragatos. And if Spain is most often associated with the guitar and flamenco, then in Maragateria the traditional folk instrument, still popular today, is the flute.

We start the tour with a visit to the main Gothic cathedral of Astorga - Santa Maria del Camino, built in the 15th century, rebuilt in the 18th century, as a result of which it acquired baroque features.

The most valuable exhibits of the cathedral and the museum located in the building of the cathedral are a part of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, and a statue of the Mother of God, the patroness of pilgrims.

Leaving the cathedral, we head to the majestic episcopal palace standing nearby, built in 1887-1893 in the form of a knight's castle by the architect Antonio Gaudi. The palace is called the best neo-Gothic building in Spain.

Now the palace houses a pilgrimage museum.

The interior of the palace is impressively decorated, the expositions exhibited in its halls and rooms are interesting. Sculptures of angels lined up in a row in the courtyard of the episcopal palace.


Then we just walked around the city, since the distances here are small. On one of the squares there is a monument to the defenders of the city during the war of Spain against Napoleonic France. It represents a lion (Spain) crushing an eagle (France). The author of the composition is Enrique Marin Higuero (1876-1951).

The main city square - Plaza de Españ a - is located about 500 meters from the Cathedral. On the square stands the late Renaissance building of the city hall. The city hall is crowned with an interesting bell tower.

Having rounded the town hall, we ended up in the southernmost part of the old city. The historical center of Astorga, located on a hill, is a small area of ​ ​ about 25 hectares. This is the former capital of the Roman province and the center of military operations of Emperor Augustus.

Six ancient Roman roads united here, the city was reliably protected thanks to the fortress walls surrounding it, well preserved to this day. Not bad preserved ancient churches, monasteries and many other buildings associated with the Roman era of Astorga, as well as several monuments. The entire quarter is designed in the same red color scheme, because the bricks and tiles of the buildings are made from local red clay, which is why the city is often called red.

We approach the ancient church of San Bartholomew of the 11th century, which has been significantly rebuilt several times over the centuries. The result of these additions was an unusual asymmetrical appearance of the church. Judging by the giant cracks, the church building is steadily collapsing.

During the Middle Ages, the city became a transit stop for thousands of pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.


An obligatory point of visit for pilgrims was the church of Santa Maria del Camino, where even today you can see the statue of Our Lady, the patroness of pilgrims. Here the "Silver Road" joins the "French Way" - another way to Santiago, crossing Spain from south to north. We observe with interest how the pilgrims approach it for a long, long time, and then, having passed through the Gates of the Sun destroyed by the Goths, they also climb its streets for an infinitely long time. Astorga has 24 pilgrim shelters. We go into one of them, we observe how the pilgrims are accommodated and what they are fed. At the entrance to the pilgrim center stands a monument that looks more like a migrant than a pilgrim.

Another attraction of Astorga, which any sweet tooth is unlikely to pass by, is the Chocolate Museum, opened in 1994. The production and sale of chocolate in the XVIII - XIX centuries brought the main income to the inhabitants of the city. By 1914, there were 49 chocolate factories in Astorga.

The exhibits of the four halls of the Chocolate Museum will tell you about the technique used to produce chocolate, how the culture of consumption of sweet treats developed in northern Spain. Chocolate was brought to Europe by the Spaniards during the exploration and conquest of the American continent. It is said that in the middle of the 16th century, the scientist-monk Benzoni presented a report to the King of Spain on the beneficial properties of liquid chocolate. The report was immediately classified, and chocolate was declared a state secret. Residents of Astorga claim that the first chocolate in Spain appeared in their city. The city firmly preserves the tradition and there are still chocolate factories in which it is produced according to old recipes. On the way to the Chocolate Museum, there are no less temptations - chocolate factories and shops with magnificent display windows and tempting aromas.

Puppet theater in the window of one of the shops selling local pastries.

Astorga is a small but very pleasant town. Along with well-preserved old buildings, the modern houses of the townspeople look more attractive.

Burgos - former capital of Castile

This small (180 thousand inhabitants) cozy medieval town is located in the heart of Castile and Leó n. Rising on an 800-meter hill above the picturesque Castilian plains, Burgos is considered one of the most beautiful Spanish cities.


The city was founded in 884 by order of King Alfonso III by Count Diego as one of the bastions on the path of the Arab invasion. Almost the entire Iberian Peninsula at that time belonged to the Moors, they could not conquer only the northern regions on the coast of the Bay of Biscay. There, on the border between the Christian and Arab worlds, to protect the Spanish lands, the fortress of Burgos was built at the end of the 9th century.

After a couple of centuries, the fortified and protected city becomes the capital, and Castilian kings begin to be crowned in it. Occupying a privileged geographical position, Burgos acquired an important place in the wool trade, which from here was sent through the ports of Cantabria to Flanders.

The historical center of Burgos can be reached through the city gates of Arco de Santa Maria, decorated with statues of the Castilian kings.

Just outside the gate opens a square square, behind which rises the grand Cathedral of Santa Maria - one of the most significant medieval monuments in Spain, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This imposing building impresses with its unexpected airy lightness, which belies its huge size.

The cathedral was founded in 1221 by King Fernando III of Castile (1217-1252) and Bishop Mauricio. The prototypes of the temple were the famous French cathedrals in Reims and Bourges.

The author of the project is the Spanish architect Enrique, the builder of the cathedral in Leon. Despite the fact that the construction of the cathedral lasted for three centuries, and several generations of architects worked on its construction, replacing each other, it looks surprisingly harmonious. Each part of it has a meaning and contributes to the beauty of the whole ensemble. An addition to the temple is the Cathedral Museum, where visitors have the opportunity to learn about the history of the building and admire the old canvases.

Under the vaults of the Burgos Cathedral, the legendary Cid Campeador, the national hero of Spain, rests with his wife Jimena. Many people think that the story of Side is just a beautiful legend. In fact, Sid, who lived in the XI century and bore the name of Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, was born in the vicinity of Burgos. His appearance, embodied in the face of a stone rider, today adorns one of the central places of Burgos.


And the city also managed to get rich because of the road, as it was at the crossroads of the most important routes: it turned into a transit point on the medieval trade route connecting the south of the Iberian Peninsula with the north, and became one of the cities of the most popular pilgrimage route "The Way of Santiago", according to which the pilgrims moved from east to west. In former times, there were about three hundred shelters for them in Burgos, one marked with a special identification mark - a scallop shell - is still preserved in the city center.

Many pages of Spanish history are connected with Burgos. So, in the palace of Cassa del Cordon, the Catholic kings Isabella and Ferdinand met with Columbus, who arrived from America. Thanks to expeditions to the New World, Burgos became even richer, and therefore the most beautiful cathedrals and buildings were built in the 15th century.

Unique medieval buildings are concentrated in the historical quarter of Burgos, of particular note is the Main Square (Plaza Mayor).

The Palace of the Captaincy General is located in the center of the historical part of Burgos, 400 meters northeast of the Cathedral, on plaza de Alonso Martí nez.

The building was erected in 1904-1907 on the site of a 16th-century palace known as the Palace of the Four Towers. In 1908-1931, the captaincy general was located here - the office of the VI military region of Spain. The palace was built in neo-gothic style. Particularly interesting is the ornate faç ade with numerous lancet arches, as well as the main staircase with artistic stained-glass windows. The facade is also notable for the fact that, until 2010, two memorial plaques from the period of the Francoist dictatorship could be seen here. The first board reported that on October 1.1936, the ceremony of transferring the supreme power to Generalissimo Francisco Franco took place in this building.


The second inscription said that in this palace, which became the cradle of the “glorious rebellion” of 1936, “in these heroic days lived an outstanding general, benefactor of the Motherland Emilio Mola, from here he led the first military operations, which culminated in a brilliant campaign in Biscay. ” Now these tablets, which caused indignation of many residents of Burgos, have been removed, and in their place two new ones have appeared, telling about the history of the construction of the palace and its fate throughout the 20th century. Since 2006, the building has belonged to the military commandant's office of Burgos. At present, the ceremonial salons and other premises of the palace have become partially accessible for inspection: exhibitions dedicated to the history of the armed forces are held here, and in the future it is planned to house the Military History Museum.

Numerous sculptural compositions that are found at every step in the city center attract attention.

Along the river Arlanç on, there is a picturesque pedestrian Espolon Avenue, surrounded by trees. This is a great place for a walk. Along the avenue stretches an alley with decoratively trimmed trees.

Burgos is considered one of the most colorful and charming cities in the region of Castile and Leó n, delighting guests with its sophistication and elegance of architectural style. It reflects many of the advantages of the region and allows you to get a lot of positive impressions from your stay in these picturesque places in Spain. It is especially interesting for those who want to see the "most Spanish" lands.

Salamanca - a paradise for students

On my previous trip, I was lucky enough to visit another city in the region of Castile and Leó n - Salamanca. The city has existed since the time of the Iberians. It is mentioned as the Vaccaean city of Helmantica when it was captured in 217 BC. e. Hannibal.

The Christian population replaced the Arabs during the Reconquista of 1087-1102, and in 1178 King Ferdinand II gathered his Cortes in Salamanca and granted the city (as the second largest in the kingdom) special privileges (fuero).

"Under the blue sky there is a city of gold" - this is about Salamanca. It is built of golden sandstone, which is mined nearby, in the village of Villamayor de Aruñ a. Wet stone is very soft in processing, so the facades here are literally lacy, as if made by the hand of a jeweler.

This medieval city is not a big city, but not a small one either - more than 160 thousand inhabitants. located in the western part of the region of Castile and Leó n, is considered to be the pearl of student life in Spain. Here is the largest, and also the oldest (founded in 1218) university in Spain, the most famous in Europe, where thousands and thousands of foreigners come every year.


In addition to the state university, there is also the largest Catholic one - Pontificia. No wonder almost 40% of the city's population are students. It has everything for a fun and comfortable student life. Salamanca is the unofficial capital of the Spanish language, the undisputed leader of this form of tourism in Spain and, perhaps, one of the world leaders in this direction. The language of Salamanca is not only exemplary Spanish, but also the language of the city, its foundations, its walls, towers, roofs, the smiles of its inhabitants.

The main city square - Plaza Mayor - was decorated (in 1729-1733) in the radical baroque style by its largest representative, Churriguera. On the square, surrounded by arcades with images of the Spanish kings and General Franco (during the civil war, who chose the episcopal palace in Salamanca as his residence), the town hall in the Churrigueresco style rises.

To a large extent, the ancient Roman bridge over the Tormes, which gave rise to the modern city, has been preserved. From the demolished walls of the medieval city, only the Carnation Tower of the end of the 15th century survived. Of the surviving Gothic mansions, the House adorned with shells (Casa de las Conchas), built in 1514 by the chancellor of the richest order of St. James Talavera Maldonado, is glorified, who decorated the facade of his house with numerous sashes of shells - symbols of the order. The unusual decor is also remarkable in that, depending on the angle of incidence of the sun's rays, light and shadow create the effect of changing the pattern. Graceful lattices are installed on the windows of the mansion. Visitors can walk around the house and admire its amazing two-tiered courtyard, staircase and wonderful coffered ceiling.

The small town has many different church buildings: the Augustinian baroque church (1636-87) with the "Immaculate Conception" by Ribera; the Dominican monastery of St. Stephen with a Renaissance cathedral (1524-1610) and the remains of a hall where Columbus spoke to theologians in 1486; the Carmelite Monastery, founded in 1570 by Teresa of Avila; the Romanesque church of St. Thomas of Canterbury (rebuilt in the 15th century); the church of St. Martin (XII century); the church of St. Cyprian with a cave under it, where, according to legend, the devil himself preached black magic. But the most famous are the old cathedral in the Romanesque style (founded in 1140) and the new cathedral (founded in 1513 and built over 200 years).


The portal of the main building of the university, built in 1415-33, faces the new cathedral. Particularly famous is its plateresque western faç ade (1494). Nearby is the house-museum of the rector Miguel de Unamuno. A little south of the cathedral are the colleges of Anaya (1760-1768) and Fonseca (1527-1578).

), which is also called Irish.

Salamanca is under the protection of UNESCO as a national treasure. We were convinced that the city is simply unique in its beauty. Medieval architecture is almost completely preserved. Even the modern buildings of the city are designed in the same style as the medieval ones. The ancient streets and facades fit perfectly into the daily business life of the city, there are simply no other buildings here. Salamanca is a small city with a long history and a young outlook on life. There are no factories in Salamanca, she gets her bread only by mental labor. For centuries, the city lived by raising, educating, feeding young intellectuals, giving them shelter and giving love.

Toledo is the capital of Castile-La Mancha

We continue our acquaintance with Spain and move to the very center of the country, where the autonomy of Castile - La Mancha is located - one of the largest autonomies in Spain, on the territory of 8.595 sq.

km of which is home to almost 2 million people. The name La Mancha is of Arabic origin and means "Dry Land", which is true, since most of it is barren and arid.

We start our acquaintance with the city of Toledo - the capital of the autonomous community of Castile - La Mancha, located on the high bank of the Tagus River. Toledo with a population of 85 thousand inhabitants was once called the "Crown of Spain and the light of the whole world", because the city was the capital of the country until 1561, until Philip II moved his residence 71 km to Madrid, which lies exactly in the center of the Iberian Peninsula . Monuments of almost all eras of Spanish art are preserved here: Arabic, Mudé jar style, Jewish (Transito and Santa Maria La Blanca synagogues); Gothic (cathedral), and renaissance monuments.


In the 16th century, El Greco settled here, whose paintings are kept in abundance in Toledo, such as "The Funeral of Count Orgaz", one of his best works, stored in the Mudé jar church of Santo Tome. Among other museums, the museum housed in the old Santa Cruz Hospital is especially noteworthy. The city was declared a national reserve of ancient architecture, modern construction is practically not carried out here, and in 1986 the historic city of Toledo was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

This is an ancient city, the first mention of which dates back to 192 BC. e. , when the Roman Mark Fulvius Nobilior broke the desperate resistance of the Carpetan tribe living here and founded the outpost of Toletum. Thanks to the iron ore deposits near the city, Toledo has become a significant village, minting its own coins. After the first barbarian attacks, the ancient walls were fortified.

In 411, the city was briefly captured by the Alans. In 418, it passed to the Visigoths and remained their capital until 711. During this time, Toledo became the center of the Catholic archbishopric. In the Middle Ages, the archbishops of Toledo had their own army and took part in the Reconquista and other military operations of the Spanish kings. The Moors conquered the capital of the Visigothic state in 712. The heyday of Toledo under the name of Tolaytola fell on the time of their reign. Alphonse VI of Castile conquered the city in 1085 and began to fortify the walls of the city.

The fortress arose in the bend of the Tagus River, the steep banks of which provided the city with natural protection from the south. From time immemorial, the most powerful defensive structures of the fortress were built on the north side. From the old fortress in Toledo, the fortress walls, eight gates and two bridges have survived to this day.

The next bridge was built under the Castilian king Alfonso X and it is he who has survived to this day. The bridge, 194 meters long, has two arched spans, under the main and most beautiful of which the Tagus River flows. Two towers were erected on both sides of the bridge in the 10th-11th centuries. It offers stunning views of the city. The gates of the bridge for a long time performed the function of protection and served as the main entrance to the city. Vehicle traffic is prohibited on it, the bridge is intended only for walking.


From anywhere in the city you can see the Alcazar - the royal palace. As soon as this huge square structure was used for many centuries of its existence. Built on the site of an ancient Roman fort, the castle served as a reliable shelter from enemies and a banquet hall for the Castilian kings: here they received dear guests from other countries, arranged magnificent balls and receptions.

Later, the Alcazar turned into a prison for political prisoners, and during the civil war, local putschists who supported General Franco took refuge in its basements (these underground rooms, by the way, are accessible to the public). The castle was destroyed many times, besieged and even burned several times, but always rose from the ashes and continued to decorate Toledo with its grandeur. Nowadays, the castle houses the Museum of the Armed Forces.

In 1226, on the initiative of Ximé nez de Rada, Archbishop of Toledo, the majestic Gothic cathedral began to be erected, the construction of which lasted more than two centuries. In size, the cathedral in Toledo is second only to the cathedrals in Milan and Seville, and surpasses all the temples in Europe in luxury. Over the centuries, so many works of art have accumulated in it that this fabulous wealth is amazing.

This beautiful cross-shaped Catholic church can be called an international creation, since the French, the Dutch, the Germans, and the Italians had a hand in its construction. This architectural marathon lasted for 300 years. The result was impressive dimensions: height - 44 meters, length - 112 meters, width - 56 m, and a characteristic mixture of styles - Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and purely Spanish "Mudé jar", when Moorish architectural features are guessed in Gothic: patterned walls, vaults in the form stars, horseshoe arches, colorful tiles on the walls and floor, and recurring abstract patterns.

At the entrance to the central choir of Trascoro stands the White Virgin and cheerfully smiles at everyone who enters here, a three-meter tower of 18 kg of gold and almost 200 kg of silver is kept in the treasury, and in the vestry of the cathedral priceless treasures of world art hang on the walls - works of the great Raphael, El Greco , Velazquez, Goya, Titian, Rubens and other painters.


Among other architectural monuments of Toledo, we visit the monastery of the Franciscan order of San Juan de los Reyes, built in honor of St. John. It was built by order of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, who wanted to see the monastery as a monument to their victory over the Portuguese monarch Alfonso V at Toro (1476).

The exception is the central square, which here is called Socodover (from the Arabic Suk-aldawad - cattle market), in contrast to the central squares in any city in Spain, which are usually called "Plaza Mayor". It is usually visited by tourists who are lost in the lanes of sandy-pink Toledo. The triangular square, surrounded by pretty mansions with balconies, seems to have not changed since the century before last. On the left side of the square, you can go through the Bloody Arch - under it is the Church of Christ on Blood, where the suicide bombers repented for the last time. Indeed, in ancient times, not only cattle were sold on Sokodover Square, but also convicts were executed. Behind the arch, closer to the river, you can find the Inn of Sevilla, where Don Miguel de Cervantes himself used to visit.

Toledo became famous for its blades and armor, which at all times were valued no lower than Damascus ones, and today Toledo is a recognized world center for the production of souvenir weapons.

We were convinced of this by visiting one of the weapons workshops and numerous souvenir shops.

Madrid is the central autonomy of Spain

Madrid is a region of Spain, which includes the province of the same name, located in the center of the Iberian Peninsula; its focus is the city, which became the capital of the country in the 16th century. The territory of the region is 8026 sq. km, the population is about 6 million people. A significant part of the Madrid autonomy is occupied by the rather deserted mountainous region of Alcaria. On the territory of the Autonomy of Madrid, in the desert valley of the Manzanares River, there is the monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. This grandiose palace-monastery at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama is often called both the "eighth wonder of the world" and the "architectural nightmare".

Its construction was completed in 1584 during the reign of King Philip II and currently it combines a monastery, a museum and a palace.


The monastery was built in honor of the victory of the army of Philip II over the French in the battle of Saint-Quentin in Flanders on August 10.1557, on Saint Lawrence's Day. new capital. Philip II, distinguished by deep religiosity and poor health, wanted to live surrounded by monks, not courtiers. Therefore, Escorial was to become first of all a monastery, and only then a royal residence.

Escorial is built of bluish granite and is a rectangle. It has 15 galleries, 16 courtyards, 13 chapels, 300 cells, 86 stairs, 9 towers, 2673 windows, 1200 doors and a collection of over 1600 paintings. Some believe that the building is shaped like an overturned brazier in memory of Saint Lawrence, who was burned alive.

The north and west walls of the monastery are surrounded by a large square, and on the south and east sides are gardens, from where a magnificent view of the monastery fields and the surroundings of Madrid opens. There is also a statue of King Philip II in the Frailes garden, where the monks rested after their labors.

The Escorial Library is second in wealth only to the Vatican - it contains the manuscripts of St. Augustine, Alfonso the Wise and St. Teresa, as well as the world's largest collection of Arabic manuscripts, illustrated hymnbooks and works on natural history and cartography dating back to the Middle Ages. By the way, the Escorial library has an interesting distinguishing feature - all its books are on the shelves with their spines inside). Such a measure was taken in order to preserve the ancient decorations of the bindings, although today most of the volumes have been replaced by copies.

The whole composition resembles a huge chest of drawers or with drawers. The burial technology is interesting and unusual: for a long time, a special service observes the smoldering of the royal remains in a separate room: it takes several decades for the body to turn into “powder”, i. e. dust, then they are moved here and placed in pre-prepared coffins . Opposite is the Pantheon of Princes, erected in the 19th century, where princes, princesses and queens are buried, whose children did not inherit the throne.

Near the monastery during the reign of the Bourbons, two small palaces were built, used as hunting palaces, and guest houses - the Pavilion of the Princes.


Not far from Escorial lies the Valley of the Fallen, notable for its underground basilica, above which rises the cross, which is considered the largest in the world (150 m - visible from a distance of up to 40 km), Built in the 1940s by order of Franco as a monument to those who died in the civil war . During the construction, the low-paid labor of prisoners who expressed a voluntary desire to participate in the work was used (for them, the terms of imprisonment were significantly reduced). The complex, which is dominated by sculptures by Avalos, opens with a huge esplanade. At a height of 25 meters on the first base platform there are sculptures of the four apostles-evangelists, made by Juan de Avalos. On the second base platform, at a height of 42 meters, the main Christian virtues are also represented by four sculptures.

The lattice behind the front door is decorated with images of 40 saints, in the center of it stands out the figure of the Apostle James. The underground gallery, which is 88 meters long, is divided into four segments; in its side niches there are 6 chapels, and the walls are decorated with eight tapestries by Wilhelm Pannemeiter (XV century) depicting scenes from the Apocalypse. When approaching the main altar, one can see eight granite statues by Sanrrino and Antonio Martin. The main altar is a granite block, at the foot of which are the graves of caudillo Francisco Franco and the organizer and leader of the Falangist movement, Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera. The main altar is crowned by a giant dome 42 m high, 40.75 m in diameter and decorated with a mosaic of 6 million ceramic elements. On the sides of the main altar are the entrances to two chapels, in which the remains of 3 are buried.

872 casualties on both sides of the Spanish Civil War. The official opening of the complex took place on April 1.1959. Behind the rock, which bears on itself and in itself the main elements of the complex, there is a monastery of Benedictines whose monks were entrusted with the maintenance of the basilica. From the church, you can take the funicular up to the base of the cross and enjoy the magnificent panorama of the Sierra de Guadarama.

Tour of the capital of the country

We enter the main and largest city of the country Madrid (3.2 million people), located in the very center of the Iberian Peninsula. We are met by two buildings-towers leaning towards each other - Madrid's "Gateway to Europe".

The city was founded by the Arab "almadain" Mohammed I in the 9th century as the Majirit fortress, the first mention of which dates back to 852. Its purpose was to protect Toledo, the capital of Spain at that time. The name "Madrid" comes from the Arabic word "majra" - a water source.


When the particle it (abundance) is added, the word "majer-it" is obtained, denoting "a source of full waters. " After the reconquest of the city by the Christians, its name received the Castilian sound "Magerit", which later turned into "Madrid". During the Reconquista, in 1085, Madrid was conquered by King Alfonso VI and became Christian. Nothing foreshadowed the great fate of the city until, in 1561, King Philip II decided to make it the capital of the kingdom. An important stage in the development of Madrid was the war of independence after the invasion of Napoleon's troops. A heroic page in the history of the capital in the 20th century was the resistance to Franco's troops.

Historical and cultural monuments are concentrated in the central part, limited by three squares. The first of them is the famous Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun), which is considered the center of the city and the geographical center of the country, from which 10 streets depart radially.

A bear cub with a strawberry tree in this square is the heraldic symbol of Madrid.

The second square is Main (Plaza Major), framed by colonnades, with an equestrian statue of Philip III, similar to a theater stage with spectacular decorations. Here you can feel the ancient spirit of Madrid - the city of noble gentlemen, noble lovers and heretics hiding from the Inquisition. Previously, bullfights, executions of heretics and festivities were held on the square. Absolutely square, it is built up with low buildings in the magnificent, typically Spanish Plateresque style, the hallmark of which are high roofs with dormer windows and towers with spiers. The first floors of the buildings are made in the form of galleries, where numerous cafes and restaurants are open.

Having walked along Princess Street, we found ourselves on the third of the central, most beautiful and largest squares in the country in Madrid - Plaza de Españ a.


In the center of the square there is a fountain with a monument. The complex composition of the monument includes the figure of Cervantes, sitting at the base of the stele, and two bronze statues of his most famous characters - Don Quixote of La Mancha and Sancho Panza, seated, respectively, on an old mare and a donkey. The top of the stele is decorated with a globe with five continents, as an allegory of the spread of the Spanish language around the world. Among others, the statues of Reality and Fiction are noticeable. On the reverse side of the column is a statue of Queen Isabella of Portugal and a fountain decorated with the coats of arms of countries using the language of Cervantes. In addition, the composition of the monument includes an Indian, similar to those described by Alonso de Ercilla y Zú ñ iga in the poem of Araucan and Perseus, symbolizing classical lyrics. In addition, the square is framed by buildings that are the hallmarks of Madrid: the Madrid Tower (1957) and the building "Spain" (1953).

We continue our acquaintance with the city, heading to the Royal Palace. Instead of the old Alcazar Palace, which burned down in 1734, under Philip V, the construction of a new royal palace began.

Currently, the Royal Palace, surrounded by gardens and partly open to the public, is a remarkable example of palace architecture. Although King Juan Carlos I of Spain lives in a more modest country palace, this residence is used for state receptions and celebrations.

A serious restructuring of the city took place at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. In place of the old ones, new, wide streets and boulevards were laid, many buildings were built in the Art Nouveau style.

We continue the city tour at the largest bullfighting arena in Europe (9 thousand spectators). A monument to the bullfighter was erected on the square near the arena.

In Madrid, you can not miss the Atocha train station. The station received its name on February 9.1851 in honor of the demolished Atocha gate.

Translated from Spanish, this word means Spanish gorse, a low-growing shrub with small yellow flowers. There used to be a lot of them here, hence the name of the station. Now there is quite a modern, rather large station complex, from where more than 125 trains depart daily.

What makes the station special is the stunning 4.000 sq. m with palm trees and other tropical plants, as well as a pond with 22 species of fish and a large colony of turtles, which is located inside the station building under its huge arched roof. More than 7 thousand races

Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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Красные земли Кастилии и Леон
Санта-Мария-дель-Камино - готический собор Асторги
В соборе Санта-Мария-дель-Камино
Епископский дворец архитектора Гауди
В епископском дворце
Выстроены в ряд скульптуры ангелов
Памятник защитникам города Асторга
Здание мэрии города Асторга
Старинная церковь Сан-Бартоломей
Паломники возле своего центра
Одна из шоколадных фабрик Асторги
Витрине одного из магазинов
Здание в городе Асторга
Панорама Бургоса
Ворота Арко де Санта-Мария
Собор Санта-Мария в Бургосе
В соборе Санта-Мария
Приют для паломников
Plaza Mayor города Бургос
Дворец генерал-капитанства
Одна из уличных скульптур Бургоса
Проспект Эсполон в Бургосе
Парк на проспекте Эсполон в Бургосе
Дом в Саламанке
Памятник в Саламанке
Пласа-Майор города Саламанка
Дом, украшенный ракушками
Новый собор города Саламанка
Портал главного корпуса университета Саламанки
Панорама Толедо
Мост Святого Мартина в Толедо
Мост Алькантара и Алькасар
Готический собор в Толедо
Монастырь Сан-Хуан-де-лос-Рейес
Клуатр монастыря Сан-Хуан-де-лос-Рейес
Площадь Сокодовер в Толедо
Монастырь Сан Лоренсо де Эль Эскориал
Эскориал
В библиотеке Эскориала
В Долине Павших
Мадридские «Ворота в Европу»
Площадь Пуэрта-дель-Соль
Медвежонок с земляничным деревом
Plaza Major горда Мадрида
На площади Испании
У Королевского дворца
Королевский дворец
Арена для корриды
Памятник тореадору у главной арены
Вокзал «Аточа»
В тропическом саду вокзала
Фонтан
Фонтан Сибелес
Паласио де Комуникасьонес или Дворец связи
Cтадион «Сантьяго Бернабеу»
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