Centro

Centro (, "Centre") is a district of Madrid, Spain. It is approximately 5.23 km2 (2.02 sq mi) in size. It has a population of 149,718 people and a population density of 28,587/km2 (74,040/sq mi). It roughly corresponds to the bulk of the housing formerly enclosed by the so-called Walls of Philip IV. The district is made up of the neighbourhoods of Cortes, Embajadores, Justicia, Universidad, Palacio and Sol. History The Centro district of Madrid is the oldest section of the city. Evidence of a stable settlement dates back to Spain's Muslim period. In the second half of the 9th century, the emir of Córdoba, Muhammad I (852–886), built a fortress on a promontory beside the river, the modern-day location of the Royal Palace. Its purpose was to watch the passes of the Sierra de Guadarrama and to initiate raids against the northern Christian countries. The remaining ruins of the fortress's wall are still preserved. A small suburb called Magerit developed to the east of the fortress. With the exception of the wall, few structures from this period remain. The city passed into Christian hands in 1085, prospering into a town by 1123. Philip II chose to place his court in Madrid in 1561, ensuring the swift evolution of the town. Many of the older buildings and monuments of the region known as El Madrid de los Austrias are from this period.