Talk:Madrid
|
|
Wouldn't it be preferable to have the Madrid article to be about the Spanish capital, rather than a disambiguation page? I would assume that the vast majority of readers expect that, and probably also the vast majority of writers, so that accidental linking would be encouraged that way. Besides, it's not even clear that we will ever have or even want articles on Madrid NY and Madrid the province. Just like the disambiguation policy says: if one meaning of a term is vastly more important and common than the others, disambiguation can become counterproductive. AxelBoldt
The Spanish page for Madrid says that before 1561 the capital was Toledo, not Valladolid. --Mihai 22:14, 31 Oct 2003 (UTC)
Bit concerned that the history paragraphs have just disappeared; but it is maybe in mid edit?
--Tagishsimon 02:15, 21 Apr 2004 (UTC)
Been doing some editing of this page as I think that it is severely lacking. Please add more and make any relevant changes.
---
Carrero Blanco's death was applaud by the liberal and democratic forces--and it forced the transition to democracy, specifically to monarchy. That was a turning point in the history of Madrid and Spain; it also gives a social perspective in the history of how the relationship between people from Madrid and ETA changed with the transition to democracy itself.
| Contents |
Carrero Blanco, ETA and Madrid
I strongly disagree with J4vier: Carrero Blanco's death was not applauded by all liberal and democratic forces, but this is not so important, as the point that he suggest that it was due to ETA (and the murder of Carrero Blanco) that democracy was settled in Spain. In fact this death contributed to the unstability of the country, where fear of more police repression and to break the timid atmosphere of freedom, touched everyone. It should be noted that democracy in Spain was brought in by democratic parties and by the Spanish citizens themselves.
Let's try to avoid a bias position--Carrero's death was definetly applaud by some liberal forces (yes, not all--mea culpa) and it is tru that it brough some unestablity. On the other hand, if carrero waould not have been killed he may have continue the dictatorship; so, in that sense, ETA projected the democracy (which i understand it is hard to accept). I think both opinions are to be held--furthermore, i don't think it is necessary to polarize the problem (as it usually happens with the subject of terrorism).
Also:emerging democratic parties led Spain to its current position as constitutional monarchy.--Well, it was Franco himself who apointed the King as his sucessor.
Franco facist?
Definitely Franco was not fascist.
Maybe too much political considerations in this article.
- Actually, Franco was not strictly a fascist leader. He borrowed certain elements from the ideologies of the governments of Mussolinni and Hitler, but some other things were completely different. Franco's dictatorship was a very conservative - even traditionalist - rightist regime, in contrast with fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. I think that's why the term "franquist" was created. Sarg 10:06, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC)
Dos de Mayo
The area's center is the Plaza del Dos de Mayo (celebrating the expulsion of Napoleon's forces from Madrid and consequently Spain).
Now this is not what happened on Dos de Mayo: a popular (though possibly orchestrated) revolt against the French soldiers was brutally and effectively repressed. However, if this is what the Madrilenes celebrate, who am I to change it? So, can Spaniards please tell me what they think happened on that fatefull day? Renke 21:35, 2 Dec 2004 (UTC)
- You are right, that's not what we celebrate. We celebrate the beginning of the popular uprising in Madrid against the French invaders, and the very heroic actions of people such as Torrejón, Malasaña, Daoíz or Velarde. Even though the revolt was (as you say) brutally repressed, it started the Spanish Independence War, which ended in 1814 with the French effectively out of Spain (although still maintaining a political influence). I'm going to modify the article slightly to reflect this. Sarg 10:22, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC)
Most prestigious university
Hi! Somewhere in the Madrid article, you said "Madrid is the largest hub in Spain for university life, though the academic centre is in Salamanca". I have been living in Madrid for all my life (and going to a Madrilenian university for 6 years) and I've never heard about Salamanca being the academic centre of Spanish universities. Are you sure about that? Perhaps I'm wrong and I'm just a bit unculturate :) Sarg 15:45, 23 Apr 2005 (UTC)
I was told this by my ex-partner who was a Spaniard from Salamanca (though lived in Madrid as a young woman and therefore anything but anti Madrid), and who told me this a number of times, i.e. that Salamanca was the Oxford and Cambridge of Spain, with the oldest and most prestigious university. I am not from Spain, and though I know both Salamanca and Madrid a bit, I don't really know whetherr this was just her perception, given that you are questioning it. Looks like something that needs sourcing, --SqueakBox 16:00, Apr 23, 2005 (UTC)
Salamanca is by far the oldest in Spain (1218). It is also one of the oldest of Europe. Considering prestige alone, Salamanca is more famous because it is a very old university. But about being the "academic centre", I have heard several times that Salamanca was the academic centre of Spanish universities when they were controlled by the Church, but nowadays each university has its own politics and rules. As far as I know, there is no organism with power over all of them (well, barring the government!). But, again, I might be utterly wrong :) Sarg 16:57, 23 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Coat of Arms
Is that a bear on the coat of arms? What is the meaning? An explanatory caption there would be appreciated. Funnyhat 01:22, 23 May 2005 (UTC)
- Yup, it is a bear, and the tree is a strawberry tree ('El Oso y el Madroño'). There is a famous statue in Puerta del Sol ([Photo (http://www.spainexchange.com/es/viajar_espana/fotos_espana.php?cityname=Madrid&id=14)]) representing the two of them. The Spanish Wikipedia has plenty of information about the legend ([Here (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escudo_de_Madrid)]). Do you think translating it and making an article would be a good idea? If so, I can do it. Sarg 06:42, 23 May 2005 (UTC)