Leganés () 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. As of 2025, it has a population of 195,734 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.
Etymology The Relaciones or Descripciones by Francisco Antonio de Lorenzana (1784) provide information about the town's name, which the Leganés City Council has adopted as official. The following excerpt is taken from the updated edition of the Topographic Relations of Philip II, coordinated by Alfredo Alvar Ezquerra:
Additionally, historian Ángel Fernández de los Ríos posited that the names "Leganés" and "Leganitos" derive from the Arabic words algannet ('orchards') and alganit ('of the orchards'), respectively.
The official demonym for Leganés is "leganense." However, the colloquial term "pepinero" is also widely used among the population. This term originates from the period when Leganés was an agricultural village supplying vegetables to the capital, with cucumber being the most renowned produce, giving rise to the nickname for its inhabitants. This moniker persists despite the near disappearance of orchards in the city.
Symbols Coat of arms The official coat of arms of Leganés was initially approved on 15 March 1962, though its origins date back to 1895. Over time, it has undergone minor modifications, such as changes to the shape of the crown. Currently, it features a Spanish Royal Crown and two quarters. The first quarter displays the arms of the first Marquis of Leganés, Don Diego Mexía Felípez de Guzmán: two checkered cauldrons, ermines sable, and a bordure composed of Castile and León. The second quarter depicts the lagoon on whose fertile ground the town was established.
The original 1962 version, approved by the Council of Ministers, featured a Marquis's coronet and followed this blazon:
The modified version, which replaced the marquis's coronet with a royal crown, was approved on 8 May 1985. The blazon is as follows:
Flag
The flag of Leganés was designed by the town's official chronicler, Juan Antonio Alonso Resalt, at the request of Mayor Fernando Abad Bécquer. It was approved by the Royal Academy of History on 15 March 1985 and has been used since then. The flag features the town's coat of arms in the center, set against a sky blue background. Its design was inspired by the herald depicted in the painting Relief of the Plaza of Lérida in 1646 by Pieter Snayers, housed in the Prado Museum. This herald accompanied the Marquis of Leganés, serving as a reference for the flag's creation. The heraldic description is as follows:
Anthem
The third symbol of the city is its anthem, composed in 1980 with music by Manuel Rodríguez Sales (founder and former director of the Music School) and lyrics by Pedro Cordero Alvarado.
History Foundation Although Leganés was founded in the 13th century, it is believed that the area was inhabited by all civilizations that have passed through the Iberian Peninsula, given the abundance of water. Archaeological remains from the Upper Paleolithic have been found near Polvoranca, and traces from pre-Roman and Visigothic periods have been discovered along the Butarque stream.
The town was established in 1280 during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile, when residents of the settlements of Butarque and Overa relocated to a new area to escape the foul odors and epidemics caused by nearby lagoons. At that time, it was part of the sexmo of Aravaca. These settlers established themselves near a silt deposit, and the new area was named "Legamar" or "Leganar." Over time, the official name evolved into the current "Leganés."
In 1345, Leganés was incorporated as a village into the jurisdiction of Madrid, under which it remained administratively dependent for nearly three centuries. Being within five leagues of Madrid, it was considered a village of royal demesne. During this period, Leganés, like other areas, operated under a feudal economy with subsistence agriculture.
In 1368, a Leganés resident, Domingo Muñoz, along with two relatives guarding the towers of the Puerta de los Moros, aided Henry II of Castile in his conquest of Madrid by opening the city gates, allowing the Trastámara forces to enter.
During the 16th century, several hermitages were constructed, including La Mora (1528), Our Lady of Butarque (1536), and San Cristóbal (1579). A notable event from this period was the arrival of John of Austria, son of King Charles I of Spain, in 1551 at the age of three. His father wished for him to be raised in Spain under the care of Francisco Massy, a court musician, and his wife Ana de Medina, who owned lands in the town. Upon arrival, he was mistaken for Massy's illegitimate son and nicknamed "Jeromín" by the locals. However, in the summer of 1554, he was moved to Villagarcía de Campos (Valladolid) to be educated by Magdalena de Ulloa, wife of the steward Don Luis de Quijada.
From village to entailed estate In 1626, Leganés transitioned from a royal demesne village to an entailed estate when it was sold by the Crown to Diego Mexía Felípez de Guzmán, Viscount of Butarque. On 15 March 1627, King Philip IV of Spain issued a Royal Decree granting independence from Madrid, establishing it as a "town under noble jurisdiction" with the creation of the March of Leganés. Diego Mexía thus became the Marquis and Viscount of Butarque.
The town gained its own town council and magistrates. As the lord, the marquis had the sole authority to appoint mayors, administer justice, set taxes, and designate municipal officials. His descendants maintained control for over two centuries until feudal privileges were abolished in 1820. Prominent families, such as the Medinaceli and Tamames, established residences there, often as summer homes.
Notably, Juan Muñoz, a noble from an influential local family, died in 1623 and bequeathed part of his fortune to establish a hospital for the poor of Leganés and Villaverde. Today, the main street in the old town and a community center bear his name.
In the 18th century, significant additions to the local heritage were made. In 1700, the San Salvador Church, the city's most important, was inaugurated after thirty years of construction. Its Baroque main altarpiece, completed in 1720, was crafted by José de Churriguera, and the parish organ was designed by José de Verdalonga. In 1775, King Charles III of Spain commissioned architect Francesco Sabatini to build the Royal Walloon Guards Barracks, inaugurated in 1783. Today, this barracks has been renovated and serves as part of the Charles III University of Madrid.
Leganés was not unaffected by the Spanish War of Independence. Between 1808 and 1812, the Walloon Guards Barracks were occupied by Napoleonic troops. In the courtyard, brothers Leandro and Julián Rejón, two farmers accused of participating in the Dos de Mayo Uprising, were executed by firing squad.
Modernization
The abolition of feudal privileges in 1820 for the marquesses of Leganés led to the disentailment of the town and the waters of the Butarque stream. These measures necessitated modernization and population growth, absorbing the entire population of Polvoranca, a village that disappeared in the 1840s due to poor living conditions. Its lands now form part of the current Polvoranca Park.
The most significant catalyst for development was the opening of the Santa Isabel Psychiatric Hospital on 28 December 1851, built in the Neo-Mudéjar style on the former Tamames family estate. Considered Spain's first asylum, it admitted its initial 44 patients on 24 April 1852 under the direction of neurologist Luis Simarro. The hospital's presence spurred essential infrastructure improvements, including street paving, sewer systems, and electric lighting.
Leganés was also the site of Spain's last legal duel, known as the Carabanchel duel. On 12 March 1870, in an area near the Dehesa de los Carabancheles (now La Fortuna), the Duke of Montpensier, Antoine of Orléans, faced his cousin Enrique. The former survived.
By the late 19th century, transportation networks improved significantly. Since 1833, Leganés had a regular omnibus line connecting it to the capital in a one-and-a-half-hour journey. The Leganés railway station opened on 20 June 1876 as a stop on the Madrid-Cáceres-Portugal line, fully operational four years later. In 1876, the Madrid-Leganés tram line began, becoming the capital's first steam-powered tram three years later. In 1879, running water was introduced, sourced from the Fuente de la Canaleja (Alcorcón), where the Butarque stream originates.
The economy of Leganés was primarily agricultural until the mid-20th century, specializing in vegetables (especially cucumbers) and aguardiente. The proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931 led to the rise of the labor movement and the election of Mayor Pedro González "Perucho", one of the municipality's most significant leaders. His tenure saw advancements in public education, the construction of the first town hall, and the provision of basic services to all residents. During the Spanish Civil War, Leganés initially remained loyal to the Republican government for a few months but was captured on 4 November 1936 by Francoist troops led by General Fernando Barrón. Dr. Aurelio Mendiguchía Carriche, director of the psychiatric hospital, was appointed the first provisional mayor.
Transformation into a city
In the early 1950s, Leganés began its transformation into a residential city with the establishment of initial industries and housing blocks. The 1963 metropolitan area planning scheme shifted urban population concentration from Madrid to surrounding municipalities. Due to internal migration, many Spaniards who worked in Madrid settled in peripheral towns where housing was more affordable. Most of these new residents came from Extremadura, Castile, and Andalusia. The first neighborhood for workers was San Nicasio. From this point, Leganés was conceptualized as a satellite city of the capital, with responsibilities in housing and industry.