From Andrés Calamaro to Florentino Pérez... the thousand testimonials of love for Madrid

Cheerful, frenetic, welcoming, vital, open, receptive, boisterous, splendid, friendly, warm, helpful, elegant, hospitable, alive, supportive, close, magical, tolerant, multicultural, fascinating, attractive, charismatic, creative, unprejudiced, attentive, diverse, awesome, nice, humble... All these qualifiers and many more fit

, the region where no distinctions are made between the people of Madrid and those born in other places.

The regional government wanted to pay homage to its community through the book

, which collects the testimony of hundreds of Madrid residents from Chamberí or Móstoles, who mix with Madrid residents from Seville, Buenos Aires or Caracas.

From former regional president

to a taxi driver from Seville;

from actor

to an Ecuadorian goalkeeper... Everyone has wanted to bequeath their declaration of love to the city.

The idea came from the president,

, who wanted to capture the open character of the inhabitants of this region in a work that is a true tribute to Madrid and to the people of Madrid who, day by day, build this territory.

The hospitality

If there is an idea that most of the statements affect, it is the reception in this city that never asks for passports and

.

"Madrid is my home!

I had to emigrate and I arrived loaded with illusions, but also with fears.

I have met wonderful people who have opened their arms to me.

I can say that Madrid is my home and Spain is my country," says

, a Venezuelan engineer.

The same reflection is made by

, a Colombian cultural manager, who arrived in the city at the age of 23 and now lives in Villalba: "I am not aware of being a foreigner in Madrid," she confesses.

The gallery owner

, of Argentine origin, defines her experience upon landing in the capital this way: «Madrid welcomed me masterfully from the first day I set foot in this marvelous city... And most importantly: in Madrid nobody asks you Where are you going or where do you come from?

The displays of devotion and affection occur throughout the work: «I chose Madrid as my place in the world for joy.

Because in itself it is a hug.

Because he does not understand foreigners or towers of Babel or exclusions or prejudices.

We are all Madrileños”, says

, director of the Teatro de la Zarzuela, from Argentina.

There are friendlier, cleaner and more cosmopolitan cities, but "there are none open 24 hours to talk about things of the body and soul," says

, president of the Ateneo.

light and sky

"From Madrid to heaven" has been one of the most famous slogans about the city and that firmament is another of the attractions that its inhabitants stand out the most.

And those skies!

There are few blues as beautiful as those in the Madrid sky”, exclaims

, of Chinese origin.

"Those endless sunsets that bathe everything with an orange tint," highlights

from the Canary Islands .

And that light that covers the roofs, that illuminates the domes of the churches, that covers the Sierra de Guadarrama, that lifts the spirit... «I adore the light of Madrid.

It is not just any light, it fills me with strength and energy.

It makes me feel alive and wanting to move on in a country so far from mine.

I love walking through Madrid on a spring day: that soft sun, the fresh air, the personality of each neighborhood...", says

, a window dresser from Vietnam.

The opportunities

Madrid is the American dream for many people who come from other places and who have been able to reinvent themselves and start their life from scratch in this city.

, a 50-year-old street sweeper, is one of them.

This Moroccan settled in Patones because he had family in this town: «I work at the Town Hall, in maintenance.

Here it is easy to socialize and find work.

I feel very happy in Madrid."

A woman walks through Preciados. JOSÉ AYMÁ

Opportunities are not found only in the city, but numerous newcomers have also made their way into the municipalities of the region.

This is what happened to

, a biologist from Valencia: «In Colmenar Viejo I have managed to set up an orchard and live from it, fulfilling my dream.

It is intended for people with disabilities.

Some, like

, from Burgos, found in Madrid a profession they had always dreamed of without even knowing it existed: «When the Railway Museum opened its doors for me in 2000, I discovered the place where my two passions come together : history and the railway.

Since then, I have enjoyed the pleasure of working at the Delicias station with a magical atmosphere”.

, Cuban pianist and producer,

also found his future career here: «I have developed my career as a soloist in this magical city.

As a songwriter, every corner of it is pure inspiration."

The cultural offer

The great variety of museums, cinemas, theaters and restaurants is, without a doubt, another of the strengths of this city.

«Madrid is movement: business, cultural, social and creative.

It welcomes you effortlessly so that you can make it your home”, recalls

, of Venezuelan origin.

For art lovers, the city is a true paradise: "Madrid, with its magnificent museums and collections, feeds my permanent curiosity for this inexhaustible world that always helps to elevate my spirit," says

, a lawyer from Argentina.

The Plaza Mayor,

, the beer in the bar, the peace of a night walk, the smell of chestnuts, the freshness of a summer storm, the noise of some works... All that is this city that does not He has lost his heart as a people.

Because as the singer

says : «Madrid has it all and it is the best kept secret.

You do not choose Madrid.

Madrid chooses you and then you can live knowing that you will always have, to return, Madrid ».

The river of praise is endless.

Here is a compilation:

Albert Boadella, playwright

"Since early childhood, the word

causes us Catalans a slight spasm that tenses the buttocks as an expression of suspicion. In this sense, when we enter the capital for the first time, we do so with a certain remorse. The prodigious impact inevitably appears emotional. Some can't stand it and take refuge again in the tribe; others are drugged and subject to withdrawal symptoms for life if we live far from this fascinating city".

David Summers, singer

"I was born in Madrid fifty-eight years ago, in the Chamberí neighborhood, traditional as no other, and although English and Andalusian blood runs through my veins, I feel 100 percent from Madrid. I have spent almost 40 years traveling the world for my work, I have known beautiful cities, but I always come back and I will return to Madrid. Everyone who comes stays, and those of us who are from here cannot imagine living in a better place because Madrid is not only a city, it is a state of mind, it is art , history, beauty and above all welcoming and wonderful people.

From Madrid to the sky.

Or where it touches me".

Mario Vargas Llosa, writer

"Madrid is freedom. No one who lives in this city considers themselves a foreigner because the people of Madrid make everyone who, like me, have come to live in this beautiful city feel at home. Madrid is open, hospitable; we are all responsible for her, whether we are from here or foreigners, because that distinction makes no sense in beloved Madrid".

Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, former regional president

"I was born in Madrid and my parents were born in Madrid. I was the first president and the first mayor of democracy born in Madrid. But that does not make me more of a Madrid native than you, who came when your parents emigrated from their land to get that you would become what you are today. Or that you, who made that path with your family so that today your children should be what they are. Or that you, who arrived yesterday knowing that here you will make all your dreams come true. Because that "It's Madrid. It never asks you where you come from. And if you want to build a personal, family or professional project, it's always with you. It's your home. Madrid doesn't belong to Madrid, it belongs to all Spaniards".

Antonio Lopez, painter

"Some years later I painted the Gran Vía [...] When with Enrique Gran, one Sunday or Saturday morning in the year 74 or 75, we looked at that, we had the feeling that it was something so supernatural, so fascinating, so miraculous , that all you had to do was start painting and do it well [...] To me, being there those early mornings, despite how little I like to get up early [...] I find it so wonderful that it fills me up Life I hardly need more.

I see in Gran Vía a symbol of the great city [...] It is a truly majestic setting and full of mystery.

I feel that way, as if I were in a mixture of hell and paradise.

It seems to me an extraordinary place, a unique architectural summary of the city of Madrid [...] It is like an immense sculpture that man has created"

Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid

"I am from Madrid, the son of Madrid. My mother was from Chamberí. My father, from the Chueca neighborhood. I have always lived in this city, and after knowing many others I can assure you that there is no place that is more hospitable, vital, cosmopolitan and open .

I have the honor of presiding over Real Madrid, the best club in the world, and I am proud to know that Real Madrid represents the values ​​of this thriving, brave and generous community wherever it goes."

Alex Garcia, actor

"Madrid, for me, is Seneca Avenue, the Parque del Oeste. The largest town I have ever lived in. Doctor Fourquet Street, still dusty on the sidewalks. A whirlwind that can run over you or hug you forever. Caña y Salad T-bone steak and wine.

The city that saw me mature, where I was wrong and right, where I tasted true love, the one that I crossed on my motorcycle with my coffee theater gear for years.

It is Alvarado, Méndez Álvaro, Alpedrete and Fresnedillas.

Madrid is Callao, the square where I met the woman with whom I share my life.

Madrid is like her: a mystery, life, love."

Luz Casal, singer

"Madrid was my first big dream come true. Being a teenager and living in the north of Spain, it represented the opportunity to become a music professional. I have never regretted living in this city.

Like the great painter Velázquez, I love the Madrid light;

His sunsets are spectacular.

Madrid has a lot of history and a lot of life in its streets, but it shows them with simplicity and kindness, without the arrogance of other cities".

Manuela Carmena, former mayor

"I love Madrid. I was born here. I live in Madrid and I have always lived here, except when my judicial destinations temporarily spread me to other parts of our country. It was, however, my four years as mayor of Madrid, which took me to fall in love with Madrid, with all those who live here and with so many of those who made and shaped it: from the visionary Duchess of Osuna, noble 18th-century pre-feminist and pioneer of care, to those immigrants who, from exclusion, in their shacks, built new neighborhoods as unique as Orcasitas".

Andrés Calamaro, singer

"Madrid. Stage of congresses And of homeland as language. Your name has music. If my tobacco wanes. It is reborn in beer. From tomorrow to noon. Tremendous melody that I hear when I travel. Far from these streets that are mine, all of Madrid, your melody. You saw me on my worst days And early mornings on the Gran Vía. Your philatelic stamp. Your Socratic syllable. Multifaceted horsehair. Madrid or I'm nothing"

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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