Presently you can still see many names of those times: Puerta de la Vega , Puerta de Moros, Puerta Cerrada. In 933, the city was conquered by Ramiro II, King of León, but was soon re-conquered from the Arabs until the year 1085, when it was definitely taken back from Alfonso VI. In these years the population was reduced but was also a great mixture: Christians, Moslems, Jewish.

During the reign of the Cathlic Kings, the city grew a lot. The doors of the city are built: San Francisco , Puerta del Sol, Puerta Atocha & Puerta de Santo Domingo.

Carlo I, king that loved going shooting, spent long periods in Madrid . His frequent visits led to a reconstruction of the Alcazar, and this also did that many rich local families built Urban Buildings (Casa de Cisneros, Palacio de los Vargas, …).

But Filippo II, that in 1561 decided to convert Madrid in the Capital of the Spanish Monarchy, gave a new style to the city, reorganizing some squares and streets, building a new wall.

During the XVII century, the city had another great improvement. Filippo II, kept the monarchy in Valladolid , but mean whiles also helped the city to get a new aspect.

His son Filippo IV, a great art & literatura lover, ended what his father had begun.

Filippo IV promoted artists as Velásquez, Murillo, Lope de vega, Calderón de la Barca , Quevedo and Tirso de Molina. The end of the XVII century was marked by the end of the Empire, full of love scandals with the King Carlo II.

The XVIII century, with the Borbón family, was one of the best times in the history of Madrid with a great development. This is when the Royal Palace was built . Filippo VI announced the end of the wars. Carlo III, King of Naples, succeeded his brother Fernando VI; he was one of the best King's of Spain 's history: he improved all the national main roads and in Madrid begun the constructions of the main streets: Paseo de la Castellana , Paseo de Recoletos, Paseo Las Acacias.

He also improved the aspect of the facades of many buildings and palaces. At the beginning of the XIX century, the Independence War begins. The people of Madrid have to defend the city against the French. This is the time of Goya. With Isabella II, great changes again for the city: all the church properties are now public and many areas are used to create new streets, squares, markets and other building of public utility. The external walls are destructed and new residential areas are built (Salamanca, Argüelles, Chamberrí e Delicias). During the Second Republic the city continues its expansion towards North, and the Paseo de la Castellana is now longer. During the dictatorship of Franco, the city starts its economical take off of the seventies. In this period they built the channels of the river Manzanares.