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Madona, Latvia

Madona
Town
Madona skyline
Madona skyline
Flag of Madona
Flag
Coat of arms of Madona
Coat of arms
Madona is located in Latvia
Madona
Madona
Location in Latvia
Coordinates: 56°51′N 26°13′E / 56.850°N 26.217°E / 56.850; 26.217Coordinates: 56°51′N 26°13′E / 56.850°N 26.217°E / 56.850; 26.217
Country  Latvia
District Madona municipality
Town rights 1926
Government
 • Mayor Andrejs Ceļapīters
Area
 • Total 10.5 km2 (4.1 sq mi)
Population
 • Total 9,394
 • Density 895/km2 (2,320/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code LV-4801
Calling code +371 648
Number of city council members 11

Madona (About this sound pronunciation ; German: Madohn) is a town with town rights in the Vidzeme region of Latvia and is the center of the Madona municipality.

The surrounding area of Madona had been populated in earlier times, which is confirmed by discoveries of old burial grounds in the city's vicinity. Madona is first mentioned in writing in 1461, when Archbishop Sylvester began renting the lands of Birži Manor. However, the Swedish government placed the land under state control. After the Great Northern War, Madona became property of the Russian Empire. Empress Elizabeth presented Birži Manor along with other of Vidzeme's manors to Count Alexander Buturlin.

Empress Catherine II bought the lands back as a present to another relative of her court — the Serbian major-general Maxim Zorić. From the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century, the location of Madona was the fields of Birži Manor.

According to one version, the name of Madona stems from the adjacent Madona Lake. According to another version, Madona got its name from Birži Manor, which German exonym is Madohn or Modohn. For this reason, the railway station situated at the Pļaviņas - Valka narrow gauge railway line was named Madona as well. The populated place that slowly emerged around the station also got this name after the erection of the Madona railway station in 1903.


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