The Region of Madrid offers a wide range of art and cultural activities. The capital itself is a good sample of the changes, fashions, styles and historical events of Spain. The old quarter of the city recalls the Arabs the arrival of the Hapsburgs, the Golden Age the Salamanca Neighbourhood project of the King Carlos the 3rd, the masterpieces of architects like Ventura Rodriguez and Juan de Villanueva. Their museums house works by Velazquez, Goya and Picasso and they exhibit wonderful impressionist canvases, flamenco art and spectacular contemporary pieces of art.
Art and culture also spread to many towns within the community, like the World Heritage City of Alcalá de Henares, the Monastery of El Escorial and the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. And there are Arab remains roads that united old Roman provinces, examples of the Romanesque period, Barroque temples and elegant small palaces that recall landlords and vassals, but not territories.
Madrid and its surroundings gave residence to illustrious figures of Spanish, culture like Velazquez, Cervantes, Goya, and Vicente Aleixandre. Other famous people like the film director Orson Welles who fell in love with Chinchón and its people also lived here. Cervantes can be traced to Alcalá de Henares one of the cities that claims to be the birthplace of this brilliant writer, Goya fell in love with Chinchón where he would visit his brother, and Aleixandre adored the northern mountains of Madrid.
Madrid’s history is a blend of different stories and cultures and everyone who comes to visit the Villa Should not miss the chance to admire them.
