Picture of Fuente de las Conchas, Fountain of the Shells, is the focal point of Campo del Moro (Madrid, Spain)

Fuente de las Conchas in Campo del Moro

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Often overlooked by visitors, the Campo del Moro actually is a well-maintained park at the foot of the Royal Palace offering a break from the city frenzy, as well as view up the palace.
Once upon a time, Madrid and much of Spain was under control of the Moors. In the 9th century, the emir of Córdoba, Muhammad I, established a fortification on a hill, called the Alcázar; around it, a settlement developed, called Mayrit, from which the name Madrid originates. The location was perfect, strategically and also practically as the Manzanares river runs close to the hill. The Alcázar was conquered in the 11th century; subsequently, the moorish Ali Be Yusuf tried to reconquer the city in the early 12th century. To do so, he and his army encamped right below the Alcázar. It is this episode that gave Campo del Moro its name: encampment of the Moor. Madrid was never again recaptured by the Moors. South of the Royal Palace, you can still find some traces of Moorish walls; otherwise, there is not much tangible evidence of their important role in this city.
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