Sunny and hospitable Spain is a country with ancient traditions, rich history, unique cultural heritage, luxurious resorts known throughout the world.
Spain - these are numerous architectural masterpieces, as well as historical and cultural attractions, which are famous for Spanish cities. The list of the most famous and popular cities looks like this:
- Madrid.
- Valencia
- Barcelona
- Zaragoza.
- Seville
- Murcia.
- Malaga.
- Palma de Mallorca.
- Gran Canaria.
- Bilbao
In this article we will tell you about some of them. The names of Spanish cities are familiar to many of our compatriots. But their history, sights are not known to everyone. We will begin our acquaintance with the capital of the country.
The capital of Spain is Madrid
The city got its name from the phrase “majer-it“. Translated from Arabic, it means "source of full water." And this is no coincidence. Madrid has a large number of groundwater and springs.
The city was founded, according to historians, by the Arab Emir Mohammed I. In 852, he built a small fortress Al Qasar on the banks of the Manzanares River. She was supposed to be a defense against the Castilians and Leonians. Later, the settlement of Magerith appeared around her.
In 1085, Alphonse VI - the Castilian king - captured Madrid. At that time, twelve thousand people lived in it. This small provincial town was not much different from neighboring settlements. But this was before King Philip II, who belonged to the Habsburg dynasty, in 1561 did not transfer his residence to the city. From that moment, Madrid became the capital of the country. It began to develop actively, in connection with which immigrants from other regions came here. New buildings, monasteries, churches, residential buildings began to appear in the city.
The French Bourbon dynasty came to power in Spain in 1700. During the reign of Charles III, Madrid became a beautiful city of the European type. It was at this time that the Alcala Gate, the Royal Palace appeared here, the water supply system was reconstructed and modernized.
A massive uprising swept Madrid in 1808, when the city was captured by the French. He was brutally crushed. From 1814 to 1936 the city was constantly rebuilt. This process continued until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. After its completion, the capital of Spain was in crisis for almost twenty years.
In 1975, after King Juan Carlos I (the Bourbon dynasty) came to power, Madrid began to develop again. Today it, like many beautiful Spanish cities, is a wonderful metropolis, in which there is a place for historical monuments and modern buildings of the European level.
Museums and palaces
What does a tourist have to see in the capital of Spain? It is difficult to answer this question, since there are many memorable places that are interesting for tourists. For example, the Prado Museum, which houses collections of paintings from the 12th-19th centuries, formerly owned by the ruling dynasties of Spain and donated to the museum. Here you can see the famous works of great masters - Sandro Botticelli, Goya, Rafael Santi, Velazquez (“Menin”), Jose Ribera, Francisco de Zurbaran, Titian, Tintoretto, Bosch.
We recommend that you pay attention to the Academy of Fine Arts. It was founded in April 1752 by Ferdinand VI. Here is a collection of paintings of the XVI-XX centuries, works by El Greco, Zurbaran, Bellini, Murillo, Goya, Rubens, El Greco. Residents of Madrid consider the Royal Palace, which was built in 1764, to be the most important attraction of their city. This is the most magnificent palace in Europe. It has 2,000 halls.
Barcelona
In this article, we introduce you to Spanish cities. The list goes on with Barcelona. The city is located on the Mediterranean coast. It is the second largest city in Spain. But besides this, it is the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia. Barcelona is located near the French border (120 km) on the plain, which adjoins the hills, and is surrounded on all sides by rivers.
Many major Spanish cities are the tourist centers of the country. These include Barcelona. The city has a developed infrastructure, which allows tourists to easily get there from any country in the world. It has its own airport, which is located ten kilometers from the borders of the city. Barcelona is an important railway junction and port city.
Spanish cities - history of Barcelona
Judging by one of the legends, the city was founded by Hercules four hundred years before the foundation of Rome. It is known that in the fifteenth year BC he was under the rule of the Roman Empire. At that time, it became a fortification. The remains of its walls have survived to this day.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Barcelona, like other Spanish cities, was attacked and conquered by the Moors and Visigoths, which led to its gradual decline.
Only in the 9th century did Louis the Pious, the son of Charlemagne, conquer Barcelona and create the capital of the Spanish Empire.
During the French Revolution, Barcelona became part of Napoleon's empire for four years, but then returned to Spain. In the XIX century, the city was one of the first to take the path of industrialization, becoming the industrial center of the state thanks to mechanical engineering and textile production.
The turn of the 20th century turned out to be a difficult time for Barcelona. Political and cultural repressions resumed again, numerous alliances of nationalists appeared, which demanded autonomy.
At the end of the XX century, Barcelona became the cultural center of the country, the Catalan language was officially recognized.
sights
Spanish cities have a huge number of attractions. Barcelona is no exception. Without a doubt, the main monument of the history and architecture of the capital of Catalonia is the Temple of the Holy Family, which was built by the design of Antonio Gaudi. The majestic structure, breathtaking in its appearance, attracts special attention of tourists also by the fact that its construction lasts from 1882 to the present day, since it is carried out only with donations.
The uniqueness and complexity of the structure is due to the fact that the architect worked without using drawings, which complicated the construction after his death (1926). Experts say that construction work will be completed in 2026, and the temple will be the highest in the world.
This is not the only brainchild of Gaudi. According to his projects, many buildings were built, which today are included in the UNESCO list - the House of Mila, the Palace of Guell, Park Guell and others.
Many believe that acquaintance with the city should begin with the Gothic quarter - the Old Town. Here and today, the remains of Roman buildings have been preserved. The Church of Sant Pau del Camp, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the chapel of St. Lucia remind of the Middle Ages.
Spanish cities, photos of which you see in this article, have many cultural attractions. They undoubtedly include the National Museum of Art in Barcelona, which was created in 1990. It consists of several collections: Gothic, Baroque art, romance and Renaissance, a collection of prints and numismatics, art nouveau.
Seville
Famous Spanish cities cannot be listed without mentioning the capital of Andalusia, the third most populated city in the country. It is located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, on the two banks of the Guadalquivir River. Seville is a large commercial and industrial center. The city is located 471 kilometers from the capital. Many popular Spanish cities attract tourists. These include Seville.
A bit of history
Residents of the city call themselves "Sevillanos". According to legend, the Greek god Hercules created Seville. At different times, the city was owned by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and Greeks.
In 1729, Seville entered into a cooperation agreement with Britain and France, and a little later, with the Netherlands. The rapid development of the city occurred at the turn of the XVI-XVII centuries, when Seville after the discovery of America became the country's commercial port.
What to see in Seville?
Since the city was ruled at different times by Arabs and Normans, this left an imprint on its architecture. It harmoniously combines different architectural styles.
The ancient part of the city admires the monumental sculpture. The pride of the locals is the quadrangular Giralda Tower. It was built at the end of the 9th century according to the project of the famous architect Al Mansour. Initially, it became the minaret of a mosque, and later Christian masters transformed it into the bell tower of the cathedral. Tourists are happy to climb to the observation deck, located here. It offers a stunning panorama of old Seville, the Guadalquivir River and the hills on the horizon. Herald rises above the Cathedral of Seville, in which Alfons X, Ferdinand III and other rulers of the country were buried.
In Seville is the third largest in the entire Christian world Cathedral. On its territory there is a tomb in which Columbus is buried. But this is only a version, since researchers are still debating about where the remains of the famous sailor are.
Next to the cathedral is the Archive of India - a building in the Renaissance style. It was built in the 16th century. In the XVIII century, Charles III made this building a repository of documents relating to the South American colonies of Spain.
Palma de Mallorca
Popular Russian cities are well known to Russian tourists. These include this picturesque resort. It is located in the bay of the same name.
Historical reference
The whole history of the city is inextricably linked with the history and development of the island of Mallorca, where it is located. At first it belonged to Carthage, but after his death, pirates settled here. Quintus Cecilius Metellus (Roman consul) conquered the island and ceased the activities of the pirates. Over time, the Romans turned the island into a province, which was called Tarakonskaya Spain, and began to build new cities. Pollensa is located in the southeast of the coast, and the second city, Palma de Mallorca, is in the south. The port of this city played an important role in trade relations with Roman Spain and Africa.
During Roman rule in the city, the main activity of the population was agriculture (growing olives, winemaking). In the V century, these lands were captured by the vandals who established Byzantine rule here, in connection with this, Christianity began to spread.
In the XIII century, the city was conquered by the king of Aragon, Jaime I. From that moment, he became the capital of the kingdom. Jaime II, the son of the king, continued his father’s work. During his reign, trade and shipbuilding developed.
In the middle of the XIX century, the city flourished due to the influx of tourists. Now, like many Spanish cities, it is a large entertainment and cultural center, attracting many tourists every year.
sights
La Seu - Cathedral - began to build under King Jaime II. This magnificent building is often called "light" because of the many windows, and the lighting system was developed by Gaudi himself.
Belver Castle
Unusual rounded fortress made in the style of Gothic. This building was built during Jaime II. She was later turned into a military prison. And today there is the Historical Museum.
It is impossible to reach this fortress on foot, as it is located above the city bay and the Al-Terrenu quarter.