About Madrid:
The city was founded at the end of the ninth century, when it was under Arab occupation (around 852-886) by the Umayyad emir Muhammad I of Cordoba, who built a fortress on the left bank of the Manzanares River, strategically located to protect Toledo. By the late 15th century, under King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, all Muslim forces were finally driven from Spain during the “Reconquista”. Madrid went back and forth as capital of Spain until, at the end of the 16th century, it finally became the permanent capital city.
Catholic Shrines & Places of Interest in Madrid:
As the capital of Spain, Madrid attracts millions of visitors each year, and of course many of them are Catholics. Among the places of interest in Madrid are:
Iglesia De San Jerónimo El Real (Los Jeronimos); San Geronimo’s Monastery
Iglesia De San Manuel Y San Benito
Prado Nuevo(Our Lady of Sorrows): Shrine 30 miles from city center
Saint Isidore’s Catholic Church: relics of Saint Isidore
The Royal Oratory of Caballero de Gracia (the Knight of Grace): tomb of Blessed Guadalupe Ortiz de Landázuri Fernández de Heredia. Daily Mass with Opus Dei priests, Perpetual Adoration
Traveling to Madrid:
By air: the main international airport in Madrid…Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas Airport (airport code MAD)…. has service from many international airlines and, as a bonus, is close to the city center.
By train: Madrid’s two main railway stations are Chamartin (the main train station) and Atocha (which connects the capital with the north-west of Spain).
With the addition of AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) spain now has a modern high-speed train which connects Madrid with Barcelona, Valencia, and many other Spanish cities. AVE trains make train travel in Spain much easier and faster than in the past.
Get train & bus schedules, see fares & buy tickets here.