# Centro (Madrid) > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Centro_(Madrid) > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Centro_(Madrid).md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centro_(Madrid) > Source revision: 1327402942 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) District of Madrid, Spain This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Centro" Madrid – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) District in Community of Madrid, Spain Centro District Interactive map of Centro Country Spain Aut. community Community of Madrid Municipality Madrid Government • Councillor-President Carlos Segura Gutiérrez (PP, 2023) Area • Total 5.23 km2 (2.02 sq mi) Population • Total 149,718 • Density 28,587/km2 (74,040/sq mi) Postal code 28032 **Centro** ([\[ˈθentɾo\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Spanish), "Centre") is a [district](/source/Districts_of_Madrid) of [Madrid](/source/Madrid), [Spain](/source/Spain). It is approximately 5.23 km2 (2.02 sq mi) in size. It has a population of 149,718 people and a population density of 28,587 people/km2 (74,040 people/mi2). It roughly corresponds to the bulk of the housing formerly enclosed by the so-called [Walls of Philip IV](/source/Walls_of_Philip_IV).[1] The district is made up of the neighbourhoods of [Cortes](/source/Cortes_(Madrid)), [Embajadores](/source/Embajadores), [Justicia](/source/Justicia_(Madrid)), [Universidad](/source/Universidad_(Madrid)), [Palacio](/source/Palacio_(Madrid)) and [Sol](/source/Sol_(Madrid)). ## History See also: [History of Madrid](/source/History_of_Madrid) Before the 19th century, Madrid (by and large the current-day Centro District plus the [Jerónimos](/source/Jer%C3%B3nimos_(Madrid)) neighborhood that includes the [Buen Retiro Park](/source/Parque_del_Buen_Retiro%2C_Madrid)) was enclosed by the [Walls of Philip IV](/source/Walls_of_Philip_IV).[2] The Centro district of Madrid is the oldest section of the city. Evidence of a stable settlement dates back to Spain's Muslim period. In the second half of the 9th century, the emir of [Córdoba](/source/Emirate_of_C%C3%B3rdoba), [Muhammad I](/source/Muhammad_I_of_C%C3%B3rdoba) (852–886), built a fortress on a promontory beside the river, the modern-day location of the [Royal Palace](/source/Royal_Palace_of_Madrid). Its purpose was to watch the passes of the [Sierra de Guadarrama](/source/Sierra_de_Guadarrama) and to initiate raids against the northern Christian countries. The remaining ruins of the fortress's wall are still preserved. A small suburb called Magerit developed to the east of the fortress. With the exception of the wall, few structures from this period remain. The city passed into Christian hands in 1085, prospering into a town by 1123. [Philip II](/source/Philip_II_of_Spain) chose to place his court in Madrid in 1561, ensuring the swift evolution of the town. Many of the older buildings and monuments of the region known as [El Madrid de los Austrias](/source/El_Madrid_de_los_Austrias) are from this period. The [Bourbon](/source/House_of_Bourbon) kings, especially Carlos III, fixated on converting Madrid into a great capital, using Paris as a model. This resulted in substantial investments in the infrastructure of the city, especially sewage and public buildings. In the 19th and 20th centuries, with the arrival of democracy, the city continued to grow. The reign of [Isabella II](/source/Isabella_II_of_Spain) saw the construction of the [Congress of Deputies](/source/Congress_of_Deputies_(Spain)) building, in [Puerta del Sol](/source/Puerta_del_Sol). The district currently houses the central government of the [Community of Madrid](/source/Community_of_Madrid), in Puerta del Sol. Until 2007, the City Council of Madrid was also located here, in [Plaza de la Villa](/source/Plaza_de_la_Villa). At present it is located in [Cybele Palace](/source/Cybele_Palace), in the district of Retiro. ## Administrative neighborhoods Division of administrative neighborhoods in the Centro district Administratively, the district is divided into 6 neighborhoods (*barrios*): - [Cortes](/source/Cortes_(Madrid)) - [Embajadores](/source/Embajadores) - [Justicia](/source/Justicia_(Madrid)) - [Universidad](/source/Universidad_(Madrid)) - [Palacio](/source/Palacio_(Madrid)) - [Sol](/source/Sol_(Madrid)) ## Places of interest Other informal neighborhoods and locations in the district are: - [Los Austrias](/source/El_Madrid_de_los_Austrias) - Barrio de las Letras - [Chueca](/source/Chueca%2C_Madrid) - Conde Duque - [La Latina](/source/Barrio_de_La_Latina_(Madrid)) - [Lavapiés](/source/Lavapi%C3%A9s) - [Malasaña](/source/Malasa%C3%B1a) - Salesas - [Puerta del Sol](/source/Puerta_del_Sol) - [Royal Palace of Madrid](/source/Royal_Palace_of_Madrid) - [Plaza Mayor](/source/Plaza_Mayor%2C_Madrid) - [Gran Vía](/source/Gran_V%C3%ADa_(Madrid)) - [Plaza de España](/source/Plaza_de_Espa%C3%B1a_(Madrid)) - [Plaza de Colón](/source/Plaza_de_Col%C3%B3n_(Madrid)) - [Paseo del Prado](/source/Paseo_del_Prado) - [Plaza de Cibeles](/source/Plaza_de_Cibeles) - [Plaza de Santa Ana](/source/Plaza_de_Santa_Ana) ## Culture The Centro district holds celebrations for several local festivals: San Antón on 17 January, "Dos de Mayo" on 2 May, San Antonio on 13 June, and Virgen de la Paloma on 15 August.[3] ## See also - [Spain portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Spain) - [Districts of Madrid](/source/Districts_of_Madrid) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Sola, Juan (2 April 2021). ["Madrid, historia de una expansión"](https://www.telemadrid.es/programas/desmontando-madrid/Madrid-historia-expansion-0-2328067179--20210401050000.html). *[Telemadrid](/source/Telemadrid)*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Amo Horga, Luz María del (2003). [*Cercas, puerta y portillos de Madrid (S. XVI-XIX)*](https://webs.ucm.es/BUCM/tesis//ghi/ucm-t26467.PDF) (PDF). Madrid: [Ediciones Complutense](/source/Complutense_University_of_Madrid). p. 89. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-84-669-2990-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-84-669-2990-5). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Centro: Fiestas"](http://www.madrid.es/portales/munimadrid/es/Inicio/El-Ayuntamiento/Centro/Centro?vgnextfmt=default&vgnextoid=6b57264cfffa8010VgnVCM100000dc0ca8c0RCRD&vgnextchannel=b068ca5d5fb96010VgnVCM100000dc0ca8c0RCRD). *Centro - Ayuntamiento de Madrid* (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 September 2015. ## External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for ***[Centro - Madrid](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Madrid/Centro#Q1763376)***. - Media related to [Centro District, Madrid](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Centro_District,_Madrid) at Wikimedia Commons - (in Spanish) [Distrito Centro](http://www.madrid.es/portales/munimadrid/es/Inicio/El-Ayuntamiento/Centro?vgnextfmt=default&vgnextchannel=b068ca5d5fb96010VgnVCM100000dc0ca8c0RCRD) on madrid.es - [Article title](https://web.archive.org/web/20190914045424/https://www.peterowen.com/jose-ovejero-memories-of-madrid/) v t e Districts and wards of Madrid Arganzuela Atocha Imperial La Chopera Las Acacias Las Delicias Legazpi Palos de la Frontera Barajas Aeropuerto Alameda de Osuna Casco Histórico de Barajas Corralejos Timón Carabanchel Abrantes Buenavista Comillas Opañel Puerta Bonita San Isidro Vista Alegre Centro Cortes Embajadores Justicia Universidad Palacio Sol Chamartín Castilla Ciudad Jardín El Viso Hispanoamérica Nueva España Prosperidad Chamberí Almagro Arapiles Gaztambide Ríos Rosas Trafalgar Vallehermoso Ciudad Lineal Atalaya Colina Concepción Pinar de Chamartín Pueblo Nuevo Quintana San Juan Bautista San Pascual Ventas Fuencarral-El Pardo Barrio del Pilar El Goloso El Pardo Fuentelarreina La Paz Mirasierra Peñagrande Valverde Hortaleza Apóstol Santiago Canillas Palomas Pinar del Rey Piovera Valdefuentes Latina Aluche Campamento Cuatro Vientos Las Águilas Lucero Los Cármenes Puerta del Ángel Moncloa-Aravaca Aravaca Argüelles Casa de Campo Ciudad Universitaria El Plantío Valdemarín Valdezarza Moratalaz Fontarrón Horcajo Marroquina Media Legua Pavones Vinateros Puente de Vallecas Entrevías Numancia Palomeras Bajas Palomeras Sureste Portazgo San Diego Retiro Adelfas Estrella Ibiza Jerónimos Niño Jesús Pacífico Salamanca Castellana Fuente del Berro Goya Guindalera Lista Recoletos San Blas-Canillejas Amposta Arcos Canillejas Hellín Rejas Rosas Salvador Simancas Tetuán Almenara Bellas Vistas Berruguete Castillejos Cuatro Caminos Valdeacederas Usera Almendrales Moscardó Orcasitas Orcasur Pradolongo San Fermín Zofío Vicálvaro Ambroz Casco Histórico de Vicálvaro Villa de Vallecas Casco Histórico de Vallecas Santa Eugenia Villaverde Butarque Los Ángeles Los Rosales San Cristóbal de los Ángeles Villaverde Alto [40°24′55″N 3°42′27″W / 40.415347°N 3.707371°W / 40.415347; -3.707371](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Centro_(Madrid)¶ms=40.415347_N_3.707371_W_type:landmark_source:itwiki) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Centro (Madrid)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centro_(Madrid)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centro_(Madrid)?action=history)). 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