SPANISH CITIES

BY JADE PINKNEYAND ELLEN O'CONNOR

MADRID GENERAL FACTS

Madrid became the capital of Spain in 1561

Madrids population is 3.165 million (2014)
Madrid covers 505.000km2 of land and is 646m above sea level
They are one hour ahead of our time
The symbol of the city is a bear nuzzling a strawberry tree (madroo)
Madrid is home to the Spanish Royal Family and the Spanish
Government
The weather in Madrid varies a lot depending on the season, fromhot
and dry in the summer, with temperature of approx. 29C, to cold, 4C
and with some rain in the winter

FESTIVAL-SAN ISIDRO
The festival of San Isidro takes place on 15th May. Major bullfights
are held at Las Ventas, Madrids bullring, around this date. This is the
worlds largest bullfighting event which attracts all the best
matadors. Tickets for the bullfights are sold out for the whole month
well in advance. The other side of San Isidro consists of about nine
days of varied events with many Madrileos dressed in traditional
costume. A whole range of cultural events take place together with
concerts and a variety of art exhibitions.

MUSEO NACIONAL DEL PRADO

TheNational Prado Museumincentral Madrid is the main Spanish
national artmuseum.It features one of the world's finest collections
of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th
century.It was established in 1819. The collection currently
hasaround 7,600 paintings, 1,000 sculptures, 4,800 prints and
8,200 drawings, in addition to a large number of other works of art
and historic documents. The museum received 2.8 million visitors in
2012. It is one of the largest museums in Spain. The best-known
work on display at the museum is Las Meninas by Velzquez.'A
Scholar', painted in 1631, by Rembrandtis anotherpiece of artwork
on display in the museum.

BARCELONA - GENERAL FACTS

Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona is now the capital city of
Catalonia in Spain. Facing the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona
attracts millions of tourists every year to its gorgeous beaches and
world known architecture.
With sandy Mediterranean beaches, fabulous architecture and
delicious food, Barcelona is sure to impress you.
Barcelona is the most economically active city in Spain.
It is the second largest city in population in Spain with 1.6 million
people living there.
It's the capital of Catalunya, a region of Northern Spain that has
its own unique culture, traditions and personality .

FAMOUS ARTISTS
Many great painters and artists worked here at some
time and their influence is still evident throughout the
city. For example Picasso and Miro which now have
museums dedicated to their work.

Picasso Museum Fundaci

Joan Mir

LA SAGRADA FAMILIA
La Sagrada Familia is one of Gaud's most famous works in
Barcelona. It's a giant Basilica that has been under
construction since 1882 and it's not expected to be
completed for some time yet.

MURCIA
Murcia is a university city in southeastern Spain.
It is the seventh largest city in thecountry with a population
of440,000 people.
Huerta de Europa was the nickname of Murcia. It means fruit,
orchards or vegetable garden.
Murcia gets up to 330 days of sunshine a year.
Murcia produces wine of high quality.
Murcia City is the capital of this region.
Major attractionsin Murcia include Cartagena, Mazarron andLa
Manga del Mar Menor.
These attractions are known for their ports, beaches/lagoons and
high climate.

 During the summer months the weather can be almost

unbearably hot yet the winters are mild.
The summers can reach up to 40 C and the winters are
around 12-16 C.
The province of Murcia is irrigated by the Rivers Segura,
Murdo and Sangonera which makes ideal conditions for
growing citrus fruit in the many orchards.
Murcia is a university city and has a large number of
students in the city.

BILBAO
Bilbao is one of the largest cultural and economic
centers in the north of Spain.
It is currently undergoing a process of renovation
that accounts for the transformation in the image of
the city.
There are around 400,000 people currently living in
Bilbao.

 The city of Bilbao used to be an industrial city

however it has become a modern city of services.
It is located in the Basque Country in the north of
Spain.
The weather is mild in Bibao throughout the year
and it is not very hot during the summertime
compared to other areas of Spain.
For example the average temperature in Bilbao in
summer is 24C.

Muchas Gracias!