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Majadahonda is a municipality in Spain, situated 16 km northwest of Madrid, in the Community of Madrid. It lies at 600 m of altitude, and has a population of 63.427 inhabitants (2006) and an area of 39 km².

It was founded in the 13th century, originally as a farming and pastoral community. It was a place where there were violent battles during the Spanish Civil War. Today its population is increasing greatly, as are all of the towns in the area of Madrid.

The current mayor is Narciso de Foxá Alfaro of the People's Party.

[edit] History

The birth of Majadahonda is not very sure although it is thought there that they were segovianos shepherds, by the century XIII, those that were based in the zone and constructed few cabins. With the passage of time, those houses were multiplied later giving rise to a modest called village Majadahonda, pertaining in the first place to the “Segoviano Country” and to the “Land of Madrid”. These facts would help to explain the origin of the name since “the majada” term means “area or esplanade in which it takes shelter or it reunites the cattle flocks”, mainly, of cattle. Some archaeological findings, specifically, the appearance of rest of a Roman-visigodo town can serve to base the idea that it was a place populated from long time before although it was uninhabited later. It was in century XVI when Majadahonda begins to become a village in conditions already, with a census of 400 inhabitants. Some of them had as Brave last name, Montero, Rojas or Labrandero, last names that still last in the locality. At the end of this century already almost two hundred houses, inhabited by about 800 majariegos existed. He is interesting to emphasize like, in important literary works of century XVII, already mentions Majadahonda. Two examples of it are the renowned creation of Miguel de Cervantes, “ingenious hidalgo Don Quixote of Mancha” (Second part, Chapter XIX) or “the Petty thief” of Francisco de Quevedo. The nucleus of the village was the seat, around which they were the Church of Santa Catherine, a small hospital and a modest inn. The town extended through the streets San Roque, Real and the Christ. In century XVII a spectacular reduction of population took place, as soon as surpassing means thousand of inhabitants as much to principles as at the end of century. One says that then Majadahonda was on the verge of being sold, like it took control of Boadilla of Monte and Pozuelo de Aravaca (Pozuelo de Alarcón, after the sale). However, the protest of the neighbors made effect in king Felipe IV and the operation did not fructify. With the change of dynasty, and already entered the Century of the Lights, a demographic increase takes place considerable, until leaving it in 800 neighbors according to the census of Floridablanca. The majority was day laborers, as opposed to a minority of rich farmers and landed strangers. The bread and the firewood, that sold in Madrid, were their main arms of commerce. The relations with king Felipe V were then very good, obtaining even that it was compensated to the majariegos with 3,000 real ones to the year by the damages that the hunting in the mount of the Brown caused. In return, the inhabitants of the village acceded to that firewood of its meadow was cut to cook 600,000 bricks to construct the Real Palace. The Great Route constitutes a new city-planning symbol of Majadahonda (Madrid) century XIX did not begin with good foot for the inhabitants of Majadahonda. The bad harvests, the plague, and the effects of the wars, left the town almost desolate. In 1812, during the War of Spanish independence, the troops of Wellington practically faced the French in Majadahonda, leaving everything demolished. The ecclesiastical and civil confiscation supposed the sale of much land, acquired by oligarcas and powerful noble. One of them, the Marquess of Reluctant, constructed a stopping place of train in its property, due to its position in the companies of the railroad. This one is the origin of the present station of neighborhoods of the locality. In century XIX the electricity arrived at Majadahonda, and with her times of prosperity and leisure, employee mainly in the Casino. But the Spanish Civil War supposed a new misfortune, and from 1936 to 1939 it was not left a soul in Majadahonda. Those that they returned when the finishing the war found with a devastated town where almost no building was had still on. Then a new town was constructed, to both sides of the Wide Way, differentiating clearly the old helmet from linear type of the plane in grid. Throughout years 60 one took place a process of urban transformation and population increase. Majadahonda leaves the agricultural activities and it becomes residential place and of services. The people arrival is so massive that they must asphalt the streets to the race, construct sewage system, create schools and hospitals. In 1970 they appear around the highway of the Plantation a series of urbanizations of “city garden”, with many supplies of house to unifamiliar. Soon the leaned urbanizations in open block and unifamiliares houses would arise that predominate nowadays. The political changes have reflected faithful in Majadahonda, that votes in favor of the Constitution of 1978. In the first municipal elections, the old oligarchy loses the power, and a new stage in the City council is opened. From the arrival of the democracy the city has not stopped to grow, to arriving at the 40,000 from year 2.000. The city I have expanded in all the directions, becoming one of the richest localities of all the Community of Madrid, being third in rent per capita.

[edit] Twin towns

Clamart, France

[edit] External link

• Official site

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