Leganés

Country: Spain · 195,734 inhabitants

Attractions

Museo de Escultura de Leganés

Wikipedia

Leganés (Spanish pronunciation: [leɣaˈnes]) is a municipality and a city in Spain, located within the Community of Madrid. It forms part of the Madrid metropolitan area and is situated 11 kilometers southwest of the capital. With a population of 194,084 inhabitants, it is the fourth most populous municipality in the Community of Madrid and the thirty-second largest in Spain, according to the list of Spanish municipalities by population.

Situated on a plain in the Inner Plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, Leganés is traversed by the Butarque stream, a tributary of the Manzanares River. It borders the Madrid districts of Carabanchel and Latina to the north, Alcorcón to the west, Getafe and the Madrid district of Villaverde to the east, and Fuenlabrada to the south.

Founded in 1280 as "Legamar" during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile, it later adopted its current name and was incorporated as a village into the jurisdiction of Madrid in 1345. In 1627, it became a village under noble jurisdiction when King Philip IV of Spain established the March of Leganés, a status it retained until feudal privileges were abolished in 1820.

During the mid-20th century, like other municipalities near Madrid, Leganés experienced significant population growth due to immigration from other Spanish regions, transforming it into a commuter town where most residents worked in the capital. Over time, Leganés developed its own robust array of public services, industries, and commercial enterprises, becoming a significant contributor to the Community of Madrid.

The city is home to historical landmarks such as the former Santa Isabel Psychiatric Hospital, opened in 1851 as one of Spain's first asylums; the Royal Walloon Guards Barracks, designed by Francesco Sabatini in the 18th century and now part of the Charles III University of Madrid; and ecclesiastical heritage, including the Polvoranca Hermitage and a Baroque altarpiece by José de Churriguera. The municipality also encompasses the Polvoranca Park, one of the largest semi-urban parks in the Community of Madrid.