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Getafe
«Getafe tiene una base aérea militar muy importante.»Getafe has a very important military air base.
Getafe is located thirteen kilometres south of Madrid, on a plain that includes the Cerro de los Ángeles, considered the geographical centre of the Iberian Peninsula. The first Spanish military airfield was opened there in 1911, and the city subsequently grew with the aeronautical industry and the expansion of the capital.
Did you know
The exact centre of the peninsula.
The Cerro de los Ángeles is traditionally considered the exact geographical point located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula.
How they talk in Getafe
Local words
The speech is that of the southern area of Madrid, with colloquialisms such as «mazo», «currar» and «pillar». «Geta» appears as an informal abbreviation of the city's name among some residents and fans.
mazo
Very; a lot; a large quantity. Colloquial adverb or quantifier: «me gusta mazo», «hay mazo de gente».
Everyday life in Getafe
The «Cerro de los Ángeles» at the top
The hill above the city is considered the geographical centre of the Iberian Peninsula: people go up on foot or by bike on Sundays, and from up there you can see the whole of Madrid on the horizon.
«Subimos al Cerro el domingo.» — On Sunday we go up to the Cerro.
Aircraft have been built here for a century
The aeronautical plants have been here for almost a century and employ thousands of people: many families in Getafe have someone who works on aircraft.
The campus inside the city
The Carlos III University has one of its campuses here, and students fill the bars around the station. At midday, the neighbourhood's clientele changes completely.
What to eat in Getafe
Cocido madrileño
Chickpeas, meat and vegetables served in three courses.
Callos a la madrileña
Tripe stewed for a long time with chorizo and paprika.
Torrijas
Stale bread soaked in milk, fried and coated in sugar and cinnamon.
Festivals in Getafe
Bajada de la Virgen de los Ángeles
in May
The patron saint descends from the Cerro de los Ángeles, the geographical centre of Spain, and is accompanied on foot to the city.
Fiestas de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles
between May and June
The patron saint descends from the Cerro to the town, and people go to meet her on foot along the climb.
What to see in Getafe
Cerro de los Ángeles
The hill considered the geographical centre of the peninsula, with the hermitage and the 1919 monument.
Catedral de Santa María Magdalena
Renaissance and Herrerian church, sober on the outside, with paintings by Alonso Cano inside.
Base Aérea de Getafe
The first military airfield in Spain, with the 1911 hangars still standing.
Where Getafe comes from
Where Spanish aviation was born
Prehistory
The plain
Settlements in the Manzanares plain, on the way to the south.
14th century
The village
Agricultural town on the royal road that led to Toledo.
1911
The airfield
The first military airfield in Spain opens: Spanish aviation is born here.
1960–1990
The industry
Factories and houses: from six thousand inhabitants to one hundred and eighty thousand.
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