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The most famous Spanish cities: list. History, sights, photos
Sunny and hospitable Spain is a country with ancient traditions, rich history, unique cultural heritage, luxurious resorts known all over the world.
Spain - it's 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 received its name from the phrase "majer-it". In Arabic it means "a source of full waters". And this is not accidental. Madrid is characterized by a large number of underground waters and springs.
The city was founded, according to historians, the Arab emir Mohammed I. In 852 he built on the bank of the river Manzanares a small fortress "Al Casar". It was supposed to be a defense against the Castilians and the Leontians. Later, a settlement of Magerit appeared around it.
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 it was so before King Philip II, who belonged to the Habsburg dynasty , did not transfer his residence to the city in 1561. From that moment, Madrid became the capital of the country. He began to actively develop, in connection with which immigrants from other regions were drawn here. New buildings, monasteries, churches, apartment houses 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 European type. It was at this time that the Alcalá Gate, the Royal Palace appeared here, the water supply system was reconstructed and modernized.
The mass uprising swept through Madrid in 1808, when the French captured the city. He was brutally suppressed. From 1814 to 1936 the city was constantly rebuilt. This process continued until the outbreak of the civil war in Spain. After its completion, the capital of Spain was almost twenty years in crisis.
In 1975, after the coming to power of King Juan Carlos I (the Bourbon dynasty), Madrid is again beginning to develop. Today it, like many beautiful Spanish cities, is a beautiful metropolis, in which there is a place for historical monuments and modern facilities of the European level.
Museums and palaces
What should a tourist necessarily see in the capital of Spain? It is difficult to answer this question, because 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, which in the past belonged to the ruling dynasties of Spain and donated to the museum. Here you can see the famous works of great masters - Sandro Botticelli, Goya, Raphael Santi, Velasquez (Meninas), José Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán, Titian, Tintoretto, Bosch.
We recommend to stop your attention at the Academy of Fine Arts. It was founded in April 1752 by Ferdinand VI. There is a collection of paintings from the 16th-20th centuries, works by El Greco, Zurbaran, Bellini, Murillo, Goya, Rubens, El Greco. The inhabitants of Madrid consider the Royal Palace, which was built in 1764, the most important landmark of its city. This is the most magnificent palace in Europe. It has 2000 rooms.
Barcelona
In this article we present you the Spanish cities. The list continues with Barcelona. The city is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. 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 is adjoined by hills, and is surrounded on all sides by rivers.
Many large Spanish cities are the tourist centers of the country. Among them is Barcelona. The city has a developed infrastructure that allows the tourist to easily get there from any country in the world. It has its own airport, which is located ten kilometers from the city's borders. Barcelona is an important railway junction and a port city.
Spanish cities - the 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 authority of the Roman Empire. At that time it became a fortification. 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 resulted in its gradual decline.
Only in the IX century, Louis the Righteous, the son of Charlemagne, conquered Barcelona and created here the capital of the Spanish Empire.
During the French Revolution, Barcelona for four years became part of the empire of Napoleon, but then again 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 due to engineering and textile production.
A difficult time for Barcelona was the beginning of the twentieth century. Again political and cultural repressions were resumed, and numerous unions of nationalists appeared that demanded autonomy.
At the end of the 20th 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 doubt, the main monument of history and architecture of the capital of Catalonia is the Temple of the Holy Family, which was erected on the project of Antonio Gaudi. The majestic and breathtaking structure attracts the special attention of tourists also because its construction continues from 1882 to our days, since it is spent only on donations.
The uniqueness and complexity of the construction is due to the fact that the architect worked without using the 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 child of Gaudi. According to his projects, many buildings have been built, which are now included in the UNESCO list - the Casa Mila, the Palace of Guell, Park Guell and others.
Many believe that acquaintance with the city should start from the Gothic quarter - the Old Town. Here and today, the remains of Roman buildings are preserved. About the Middle Ages resemble the church of Sant Pau del Camp, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the chapel of Saint Lucia.
The Spanish cities, photos of which you see in this article, have a lot of cultural attractions. The National Museum of Art in Barcelona, undoubtedly, was founded in 1990. It consists of several collections: Gothic, Baroque, Romantic and Renaissance, collection of engravings and numismatics, Art Nouveau painting.
Seville
Famous Spanish cities can not be listed without mentioning the capital of Andalusia, the third largest city in the country. It is located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, along the two banks of the Guadalquivir River. Seville is a large commercial and industrial center. The city is located 471 kilometers from the capital of the country. Many popular Spanish cities attract tourists. Among them is Sevilla.
A bit of history
The inhabitants of the city call themselves "Sevillanos". If you believe the legend, Seville was created by the Greek god Hercules. At different times the city was owned by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and Greeks.
In 1729, Seville signed a cooperation agreement with Britain and France, and a little later with the Netherlands. Rapid development of the city occurred at the turn of the XVI-XVII centuries, when Seville, after the discovery of America, became a commercial port of the country.
What to see in Seville?
Since the city was ruled by Arabs and Normans at different times, this left an imprint on its architecture. Here, different architectural styles are harmoniously combined.
The ancient part of the city is fascinated by monumental sculpture. A special pride of local residents is the quadrangular tower of the Giralda. It was built at the end of the IX century by the design of the famous architect Al-Mansur. In the beginning, it became a minaret of the mosque, and later Christian masters reincarnated it into the bell tower of the cathedral. At the observation deck, located here, with pleasure tourists are rising. It offers a stunning view of the old Seville, the Guadalquivir River and the hills on the horizon. The Herald rises above the Seville Cathedral, in which were buried Alfonso X, Ferdinand III and other rulers of the country.
In Seville is the third largest in the whole Christian world Cathedral Cathedral. On its territory there is a burial vault in which Columbus is buried. But this is only a version, since researchers are still arguing about where the ashes of a 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 that concerned the South American colonies of Spain.
Palma de Mallorca
Russian tourists are well known for the popular Spanish cities. These include this picturesque resort. It is located in the eponymous bay.
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 stopped the activities of 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 on the south-east coast, and the second city is Palma de Mallorca - in the south. The port of this city played an important role in trade relations with Roman Spain and Africa.
During the Roman rule in the city, the main activity of the population was agriculture (cultivation of olives, winemaking). In the fifth century, these lands were conquered by vandals, who established Byzantine rule here, and Christianity began to spread in this connection.
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. The case of the father was continued by Jaime II, the son of the king. During his reign, trade and shipbuilding developed.
In the middle of the XIX century the city flourished in connection with 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 structure is often called "light" because of the many windows, and the lighting system was developed by Gaudi himself.
Bellver Castle
The unusual rounded fortress is made in the Gothic style. This structure was built under Jaime II. Later it was turned into a military prison. And today here is the Historical Museum.
It is impossible to get to this fortress on foot, as it is located above the city bay and Al Terrena district.
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