h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Being a history buff I've looked through all your excellent entries already, and a fine job too -very interesting

There's just one thing missing for me. I can't find a single mention of the Spanish capital city anywhere in these articles.

Surely Madrid merits a mention somewhere. Also, having checked in the guide, is there a decent article on it? Nope.

Aside from in the Civil war article anyhow. And that's only in passing.

Thanks, Orcus

Very good question about Madrid. In the context of the timescale of this series, Madrid was just another village/town/city - it only became significant when Spain was unified and the capital moved there under (I think) Carlos about fifty years after the end of this series.

In terms of the wider Guide, you're quite right. Much to my shame, though, I've never been to Madrid, so I'm not your man. That may change later in the year

Same here, my only visits to spain have been a day trip across the border from the Algarve when I was a kid and the bog standard holiday in the Canaries.

It's interesting in itself that the current capital - one of the largest metropolitan areas in western Europe - has a relatively insignificant history compared to more minor cities in present day Spain.

I've travelled fairly widely in Spain, but never to Madrid (the airport doesn't count, right? )

The location of Madrid is very interesting. It's basically stuck in the middle of a plain, way off any trading routes and fairly indefensible. I'd imagine there was little appeal for medieval kingmakers, particularly when there were places like Seville (from whence you could dominate Mediterranean trade), Toledo (very difficult to attack because of its local) or Santiago (the major pilgrim centre of western Europe). Madrid is, however, perfectly placed to dominate nearby squabbling kingdoms - stick an army there and you can hit any part of the peninsula within a couple of days. I believe that's the main reason for its sudden growth in the 16th Century.