Tarot de Madrid

The record

Madrid is the capital city of Spain and was founded in the 9th century by the Umayyad Emyr Mohammed of Córdoba. It was originally designed to be a fortress. Eventually it was conquered by Christians in 1083-1085 and expanded into a city known as The Crown of Castile. In later centuries it grew in size as an administrative centre when the court of the monarchy settled there. Under such auspicious patronage Madrid became the de facto capital of Spain. It grew rapidly during the 17th century, attracting many of Spain’s leading artists and writers. From this point on the once innocuous and mid-size city became the focus of many historical events that included uprisings, revolutions, invasions, and battles – its history was nothing if not torrid. During the 20th century Madrid was given something of a cosmetic overhaul, and by the 21st-century it had become the cultural and intellectual capital of Spain with a concentration of universities, royal academies, publishing houses, and daily newspapers. With a fascinating and colourful history of over a thousand years, Madrid is the ideal subject for an artist and a surprising muse for a tarot deck. The Tarot of Madrid joins a small but disti

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