Majadahonda
| Majadahonda | |||
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Gran Via, the pedestrianized centre of Majadahonda
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 Majadahonda
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| Coordinates: 40°28′22″N 3°52′20″W / 40.47278°N 3.87222°W | |||
| Country |
 Spain
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| Region |
 Community of Madrid
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| Comarca | Madrid metropolitan area | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Narciso de Foxá Alfaro (PP) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 38.48 km2 (14.86 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 743 m (2,438 ft) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 69,439 | ||
| • Density | 1,800/km2 (4,700/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Majariegos | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal codes in Spain | 28220, 28221, 28222 | ||
| Area code(s) | 34 (Spain) + 91 (Madrid) | ||
| Patron Saint | St. Catherine of Alexandria | ||
| Climate | Csa | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Majadahonda (Spanish pronunciation: [ma.xa.ða.ˈon.da]) is a municipality in Spain, situated 16 km northwest of Madrid, in the Community of Madrid.
It lies alongside the motorway A6 Madrid-A Coruña.
The Puerta de Hierro university (public) hospital was relocated to Majadahonda from the western part of the city of Madrid into a newly built medical complex in 2009.
Facts surrounding the original founding of Majadahonda are not readily verifiable, although some current residents of Majadahonda believe that the founders were Segovian shepherds who, by the 13th century, were based in the area, which, being poor agricultural land, was mostly used for grazing.
According to tradition, a small village emerged as a droving station called Majadahonda. Some archaeological findings including the remains of a Roman-Visigoth town tend to support the idea that a settlement was established in the 1st century AD, before being abandoned and then recolonized.
By the 16th century Majadahonda began to become proper village with a population of about 400 inhabitants. At the end of the 16th century there were almost two hundred houses and some 800 inhabitants. Majadahonda is mentioned in Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote and El Buscón by Francisco de Quevedo. The centre of the village at the time was the Church of Santa Catherine, a small hospital and a modest inn. The town extended through the streets named San Roque, Calle Real and Calle Christ.
In the 17th century a dramatic reduction of population occurred. Tradition says that Majadahonda was on the verge of being sold to a private owner, as occurred at Boadilla del Monte and Pozuelo de Aravaca (which was renamed Pozuelo de Alarcón, after the sale). However, the protest of the inhabitants to Philip IV of Spain was effective and the sale was frustrated. In the 18th century a considerable population increase occurred, with some 800 inhabitants according to the census of Floridablanca. The majority of the men were day laborers, serving a minority of rich farmers and landed gentry.
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Wikipedia