Cats – the indigenous population of Madrid

Cats – the indigenous population of Madrid

The natives of Madrid are a very special group of people with the unique customs, traditions and culture. They even have an unusual nickname – madrileños are often lovingly called “Cats” (“Gatos” in Spanish). Let’s see where this unusual name comes from.
According to the old legends, in the XI century the King of Castile Alfonso VI approached the walls of Madrid (which was then called Mairit, as the city was ruled by the Arabs), he faced with the huge walls. There was no guard around the walls, as the confident Arabs considered them impregnable. But one brave madrileño managed to outsmart them. Using the knives that he stuck in the walls, he climbed up and dropped the ropes to help the army of the King Alfonso VI, amazed with the speed and agility of the young man, compared him to the cat. Thus appeared this beautiful nickname of the native residents of Madrid – “Cats”.
Our guide in Madrid will tell you many interesting stories about Madrid and its residents and discover this land in a different way!