Sunny and hospitable Spain is a country with ancient traditions, rich history, unique cultural heritage, luxurious resorts known all over the world.
Spain is the numerous architectural masterpieces, as well as historical and cultural attractions that Spanish cities are famous for. 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 well known 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.
Madrid, the capital of Spain
The city got its name from the phrase “majer-it“. Translated from Arabic, it means "source of full waters." And it is no coincidence. Madrid is distinguished by a large number of underground waters and springs.
Founded the city, according to historians, the Arab Emir Mohammed I. In 852In the year he built on the banks of the Manzanares River a small fortress "Al Qasar". It was supposed to be a defense against the Castilians and Leonese. Later, the Magerite settlement appeared around it.
In 1085, Alphonse VI - the Castilian king - captured Madrid. At that time, twelve thousand people lived there. This small provincial town was not much different from neighboring settlements. But that was before King Philip II, who belonged to the Habsburg dynasty, moved his residence to the city in 1561. Since then, Madrid has become the capital of the country. It began to develop actively, in connection with which immigrants from other regions were drawn 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 through Madrid in 1808, when the city was captured by the French. He was severely suppressed. From 1814 to 1936 the city was constantly rebuilt. This process continued until the start of the Spanish Civil War. After its completion, the capital of Spain was in crisis for almost twenty years.
In 1975, after the coming to power of King Juan Carlos I (Bourbon dynasty), Madrid begins to develop again. Today, like many beautiful Spanish cities, it is a beautiful metropolis that has a place andhistorical monuments, and modern buildings of the European level.
Museums and palaces
What must a tourist see in the capital of Spain? It is difficult to answer this question, since there are many memorable places that are of interest to tourists. For example, the Prado Museum, which contains collections of paintings from the 12th-19th centuries, which in the past belonged to the ruling dynasties of Spain and were donated to the museum. Here you can see the famous works of the great masters - Sandro Botticelli, Goya, Rafael Santi, Velasquez ("Las Meninas"), Jose Ribera, Francisco de Zurbaran, Titian, Tintoretto, Bosch.
We recommend stopping your attention at 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 main attraction of their city. This is the most majestic palace in Europe. It has 2000 halls.
Barcelona
In this article we present you Spanish cities. The list continues 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 a plain, which is adjacent to the hills, and is surrounded on all sides by rivers.
Many big Spanishcities are the tourist centers of the country. Barcelona is one of them. 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 city limits. Barcelona is an important railway junction and 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 founding of Rome. It is known that in the fifteenth year BC it 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 tribes of the Moors and Visigoths, which led to its gradual decline.
Only in the 9th century, Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, conquered Barcelona and created the capital of the Spanish Empire here.
During the French Revolution, Barcelona became part of Napoleon's empire for four years, but then returned to Spain again. In the XIX century, the city was one of the first to embark on the path of industrialization, becoming the industrial center of the state thanks to mechanical engineering and textile production.
The beginning of the 20th century turned out to be a difficult time for Barcelona. Political and cultural repression resumed again, numerous nationalist unions appeared, which demanded autonomy.
At the end of the 20th century, Barcelona became the cultural center of the country, the Catalan language wasofficially recognized.
Attractions
Spanish cities have a huge number of attractions. Barcelona is no exception. Without a doubt, the main monument of history and architecture of the capital of Catalonia is the Sagrada Familia, which was built according to the project of Antonio Gaudi. The majestic building, breathtaking in its appearance, attracts special attention of tourists by the fact that its construction has been going on from 1882 to the present day, since it is carried out only on 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 construction work will be completed in 2026 and the temple will be the tallest in the world.
This is not the only brainchild of Gaudí. According to his designs, many buildings were built that are today included in the UNESCO list - the House of Mila, the Guell Palace, the Guell Park and others.
Many believe that acquaintance with the city should begin with the Gothic quarter - the Old Town. Remains of Roman buildings remain here to this day. The Church of Sant Pau del Camp, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the chapel of St. Lucia are reminiscent of the Middle Ages.
Spanish cities, photos of which you see in this article, have many cultural attractions. These 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, collections of engravings and numismatics, art nouveau.
Seville
Famous Spanish cities cannot be listed without mentioning the capital of Andalusia, the third most populous city in the country. It is located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, on two banks of the Guadalquivir River. Seville is a major commercial and industrial center. The city is located 471 kilometers from the capital of the country. Many popular Spanish cities attract tourists. Seville is one of them.
A bit of history
The inhabitants of the city call themselves "sevillanos". According to legend, Seville was created by the Greek god Heracles. At different times, the city was owned by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and Greeks.
In 1729, Seville signed an agreement on cooperation with Britain and France, and a little later - with the Netherlands. The rapid development of the city took place at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries, when Seville, after the discovery of America, became the commercial port of the country.
What to see in Seville?
As the city was ruled at different times by Arabs and Normans, this left its mark on its architecture. It harmoniously combines different architectural styles.
The ancient part of the city delights with monumental sculpture. The special 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-Mansur. Initially, it became the minaret of the mosque, and later Christian craftsmen turned it into the bell tower of the cathedral. To the observation deck located here, withtourists rise with pleasure. From here you have a stunning panorama of old Seville, the Guadalquivir River and the hills on the horizon. Heralda rises above the Seville Cathedral, in which Alphonse X, Ferdinand III and other rulers of the country were buried.
In Seville is the third largest Cathedral in the entire Christian world. On its territory there is a tomb in which Columbus is buried. But this is only a version, as researchers are still arguing about where the ashes of the famous sailor are located.
Next to the cathedral is the Archive of the Indies, a Renaissance building. It was built in the 16th century. In the XVIII century, Charles III made this building a repository of documents that related to the South American colonies of Spain.
Palma de Mallorca
Russian tourists are well aware of popular Spanish cities. This picturesque resort belongs to them. It is located in the bay of the same name.
Historical background
The entire history of the city is inextricably linked with the history and development of the island of Mallorca, where it is located. Initially, it belonged to Carthage, but after his death, pirates settled here. Quintus Caecilius Metellus (Roman consul) conquered the island and stopped the activities of the pirates. Over time, the Romans turned the island into a province, which they called Taracona Spain, and began to build new cities. Pollensa is located in the southeast of the coast, and the second city - Palma de Mallorca - in the south. The port of this city played an important role in trade relations with Roman Spain and Africa.
During Roman rule, the main activity of the population in the city was agriculture (growing olives, winemaking). In the 5th 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 King Jaime I of Aragon. From that moment on, it became the capital of the kingdom. The work of his father was continued by Jaime II, the son of the king. During his reign, trade and shipbuilding developed.
In the middle of the 19th century, the city flourished due to the influx of tourists. Now, like many Spanish cities, it is a major entertainment and cultural center that attracts many tourists every year.
Attractions
La Seu - the Cathedral - began to build under King James II. This magnificent building is often called "light" because of the many windows, and the lighting system was developed by Gaudí himself.
Belver Castle
An unusual rounded fortress made in the Gothic style. This building was built under James II. Later it was turned into a military prison. And today the Historical Museum is located here.
It is impossible to reach this fortress on foot, as it is located above the city bay and the Al-Terrenu quarter.
