History of Madrid "Madrid" evolved from the Mozarabic "Matrit", which is still in the Madrilenian gentilic. The site of modern-day Madrid has been controlled since prehistoric times, and archaeological research found a small Visigothic village nearby. In the mid-9th century, Muhammad I of Córdoba constructed a small castle where the Palacio Real stands today. The Moors built a citadel, al-Mudayna, around this castle. They named the area after the nearby Manzanares River, which the Muslims called al-Majrīṭ (Arabic: "source of water"). From this came the name "Majerit", later spelled "Madrid". The Moors controlled the citadel until Alfonso VI of León and Castile conquered
Mayor of Madrid Mayor of Madrid The Mayor of Madrid () is an elected politician who leads the City Council of Madrid, which is accountable for the strategic government of Madrid. The office is municipal and is not to be confused with that of the President of the (regional) Community of Madrid, which is a superior administrative entity created in 1983. Initially Mayors of Madrid had the office of 'Corregidor' when first instituted in the Kingdom of Castile by Henry III in 1393 and later formalized by the Catholic Monarchs–Ferdinand II and Isabella I–in 1480. The Mayor of Madrid reported directly to the