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About Complutense University - About the City of Madrid
Madrid Town Information
About the University: Complutense University in Moncloa, an area located in the west of Madrid called Moncloa about 15 minutes away from the central shopping areas of Madrid. Complutense is a public university and is owned by the Spanish State. It is one of the oldest and largest Universities in the world, with more than 500 years of experience and 130,000 students (among them about 4,000 foreign students). The Spanish course for foreigners at Complutense University is located on the University campus in the faculty of Philology and Letters. This means that foreign students are sharing the same premises as Spanish University students.
The first Spanish courses for foreign students were established more than 15 years ago and have since been lectured by local university teachers. Complutense University arranges a small variety of courses which are mainly long-term courses.
The campus of Complutense University is 36,000 acres. The terrain includes green zones of more than one million square meters, of which 640,000 are forested and 375,000 are gardens. The Main Library of Complutense University contains approx. 2,000,000 volumes, 40,000 scientific publications and more 10,000 audiovisual titles. Apart from the main library each faculty has its own library with specialized titles.
All students will receive a University Student Card, which gives access to all facilities (the swim hall, sport grounds etc.) at the University campus although for many facilities there is still a fee to be paid. The University arranges very few activities outside class hours but students at the higher levels can sign up for extra voluntary Spanish culture classes and participate in conferences.
Facts: Madrid is the capital of Spain and lies in the center of the Iberian Peninsula 646 meters above sea level. It has a population of 3 million inhabitants and the climate varies from very warm and dry in the summer to rainy (and sometimes with snow) in the winter. The city has traditionally been the connecting point between all parts of Spain. This means that every part of Spain is within a relatively easy reach from Madrid. It is possible to go for a weekend trip to Bilbao in the North or to the beach in Analucia in the south, both within approx. 5 hours by bus.
History: Madrid was founded in the 9th century by the Moorish Emir Mohamed I and was in 1083 captured back by Alfonso VI.
In 1561 Phillip II decided to establish the royal court in Madrid thereafter it was proclaimed the capital of Spain.
Today Madrid is still home of the Royal family as well as the Spanish Government. It is a modern metropolitan capital and the economical and industrial center of Spain. In 1992 Madrid was named culture capital of Europe and was a serious candidate for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Attractions: Madrid has a wide variation of attractions from great monuments such as the Royal Palace and classic and modern museums to big flea markets and international concerts. For art lovers Madrid is a fascinating place. You can find some of the most famous collections of Spanish artist such as Velazquez, Goya and El Greco (in Museo Del Prado) or Picasso, Miro and Dalí (in Reina Sofia or Thyssen). For sport enthusiasts Madrid can offer everything from skiing (only 1 hour away by bus) during the winter, golf all year around and international sport events with Real Madrid (selected the best soccer/football club of the 20th century).
Going Out: If you like going out at night Madrid has some of the most varied nightlife in Spain. You can find everything from Irish, German and Scandinavian bars to reggae, jazz and of course traditional Spanish tapa bars.
The bars and discotheques in Madrid are open all year round, all week long (and almost at every hour of the day). In Madrid you can also find all kinds of restaurants (national and international) and the best national operas and theaters are also located here.
For more information about Madrid, see the following Madrid Guide.