Philip II Establishes Madrid as the Capital

Name: Philip II Establishes Madrid as the Capital
Start: 1561

Type Event Region Europe Time 1561

In 1561 Philip II of Spain moved his court from Toledo to Madrid and established a permanent government there, rapidly elevating Madrid from a small …

Timeline

1561Madrid · MadridPhilip II formally transferred the royal household and the Council of State and other institutions to Madrid, ending the tradition of Toledo as the principal royal residence. Situated in the heart of Castile, Madrid was well placed to govern the peninsula and to connect with administrative routes leading to the Low Countries and the Americas.
1561–1565Madrid · MadridAs ministers, envoys, and noble retinues gathered, Madrid gradually expanded its royal palace and municipal facilities, forming the closed courtly political model typical of the Habsburg era and providing a hub for the later construction of El Escorial and the governance of a global empire.

Sources

Philip of Spain — Henry Kamen (1997)