For centuries Madrid was an insignificant settlement on the central Iberian plateau. Under its Muslim rulers the town was fortified and enlarged, but even after the Reconquista it remained secondary to nearby Toledo. But Madrid's fortunes dramatically shifted in the sixteenth century, becoming the centre of a vast global empire.

Luke Stegemann tells the surprising story of Madrid's flourishing, and its outsize influence across the world. From Cervantes and Quevedo to Velázquez and Goya, Spain's capital has been home to some of Europe's most influential artists and thinkers. It formed a vital link between Europe and the Americas and became a cauldron of political dissent--not least during the Spanish Civil War, when the city was on the frontline in the fight against fascism.

Stegemann places Madrid and its people in global context, showing how the city--fast overtaking Barcelona as a centre of international finance and cultural tourism--has become a melting pot at the heart of Europe and the wider Hispanic world.