Fun Facts about Madrid
Surely before coming to Madrid you have read a lot about the city: places to go, museums to visit, etc. We at Academia Paraninfo know that our students are curious and that they like to know and discover a different Madrid. Do you know what the locals are called? What is the narrowest house in the city?
Why are Madrilenians called “cats”?
This is due to a soldier from Alfonso VI’s army, which were trying to conquer Mayrit (the Arabic citadel where later Madrid was born) in 1083. The soldier began to climb the citadel’s wall and the king, astonished by what he saw, said “it looks like a cat”.
The narrowest house in Madrid
The narrowest house in Madrid is located at number 61 of Calle Mayor and was the residence of Calderón de la Barca, a famous Spanish writer.
The longest street in Madrid?
It is Calle Alcalá which has a length of 10km and the shortest is Calle Rompelanzas (with a length of only 20 meters).
What is Madrid’s symbol?
It is “el oso y el madroño” (the bear and the strawberry tree) and its famous statue is located in Puerta del Sol square. Some people think that the bear is actually a female bear and that it represents the Ursa Major constellation. But others claim that the bear is due to the fact that before there were many bears and many strawberry trees in the area where the city was built.
The Royal Palace
Our Royal Palace is record-breaking: it is the largest in Western Europe, even bigger than Buckingham Palace.
Cibeles Square
Cibeles Square is not only the fountain where the Real Madrid football team celebrates its victories, it is so much more. Cibeles is part of the security system of the Bank of Spain. In the event that the chambers where the gold is kept were attacked, the fountain has a system of pipes that would cause them to flood.
What is Madrid’s typical “fast food”?
Nooo, it’s not the paella, nor the tortilla. It’s the calamari sandwich. No one can come to Madrid and leave without eating one.
The oldest restaurant
The oldest restaurant in the world is in Madrid and is called Sobrino de Botín, opened in 1725.