This article is a list of notable people from Madrid, the capital of Spain:
Born in
Architecture and urban planning
Teodoro Ardemans (1664–1726): Spanish architect José Benito de Churriguera (1665–1725) and Churriguera family: Spanish Baroque architects and sculptors; the highly decorated Churrigueresque style of architectural construction is named after the family Juan de Villanueva (1739–1811): Spanish architect of Neoclassicism Arturo Soria (1844–1920): Spanish urban planner, well known for his concept of the linear city Leopoldo Torres Balbás (1888-1960): restorer, architect and scholar Eduardo Torroja (1899–1961): Spanish structural engineer and architect
Army Pedro de Heredia (1505 – c. 1554): Spanish conquistador and founder of Cartagena de Indias Alonso de Contreras (1582–1641): Spanish privateer, a friend of Lope de Vega
Art music Dionisio Aguado y García (1784–1849): Spanish classical guitarist and composer Francisco Asenjo Barbieri (1823–1894): Spanish composer of the popular Spanish opera form, the zarzuela Luisa Lacal de Bracho (1874–1962), Spanish pianist, musicologist, and writer Federico Chueca (1846–1908): Spanish composer of zarzuelas Conrado del Campo (1878–1953): composer, violinist and professor at the Madrid Conservatory Teresa Berganza (1935–2022): Spanish mezzo-soprano Plácido Domingo (1941): international tenor and conductor Miguel Álvarez-Fernández (1979): Spanish sound artist, composer, theorist and curator
Bullfighting Antonio Chenel Albadalejo (1932–2011): known as "Antoñete", Spanish bullfighter who had a long career Juana Cruz (1917–1981): Spanish bullfighter, one of the earliest women in the profession Luis Miguel Dominguín (1926–1996): Spanish bullfighter, a lover of Ava Gardner Julián López Escobar, El "Juli" (1982): Spanish bullfighter
Engineering Rafael del Pino (1920–2008): founder of the construction company Ferrovial Pedro Duque (1963): Spanish astronaut and aeronautical engineer
Finances Dimas Gimeno: former CEO of El Corte Inglés María Eugenia Girón: businesswoman Pablo Isla (1964): current chairman and CEO of Inditex Alicia Koplowitz (1954): Spanish noble and businesswoman Esther Koplowitz (1953): Spanish noble and businesswoman Juan Villalonga (1953): Spanish businessman
Formal sciences Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz (1606–1682): Spanish Catholic scholastic philosopher, ecclesiastic, mathematician and writer
Literature Alonso de Ercilla (1533–1594): Spanish soldier and poet Félix Lope de Vega (1562–1635): Spanish Baroque playwright and poet; renewed the Spanish theatre at a time when it was starting to become a mass cultural phenomenon Tirso de Molina (1579–1648): Spanish Baroque playwright, poet, and Roman Catholic monk, known as the creator of Don Juan Francisco de Quevedo (1580–1645): Spanish nobleman, politician, and Baroque writer; his style is characterized by what was called conceptismo Pedro Calderon de la Barca (1600–1681): Spanish Baroque playwright and poet; his work is regarded as the culmination of the Spanish Baroque theatre Marcela de San Félix (1605–1688): poet, actress, and playwright Leandro Fernández de Moratín (1760–1828): Spanish playwright and poet Ramón de Mesonero Romanos (1803–1882): Spanish prose writer, author of Guía de Madrid (Madrid guide) Mariano José de Larra (1809–1837): Spanish Romantic writer and journalist José Echegaray (1832–1916): Spanish engineer, mathematician, and dramatist; Nobel Prize in Literature 1904 Jacinto Benavente (1866–1954): Spanish dramatist, Nobel prize in Literature 1922 Pedro Salinas (1891–1951): Spanish poet, member of the Generation of '27 Gloria Zamacois (1897—1946), short story writer Dámaso Alonso (1898–1990): Spanish poet, philologist, and literary critic Enrique Jardiel Poncela (1901–1952): Spanish playwright and novelist who wrote mostly humorous works Liboria o "Borita Casas" Casas Regueiro (1911–1999): journalist, playwright, and author known for inventing the character Antoñita la Fantastica (Fantastic Antonia) Carlos Semprún (1926–2009): writer and dramatist Francisco Umbral (1932–2007): Spanish novelist, journalist, essayist and biographer Luzmaría Jiménez Faro (1937-2015): writer, essayist, anthologist, poet, and editor Pilar Adón (born 1971): Spanish writer and translator
Media and entertainment Hiba Abouk (born 1986): actress Jesús Álvarez (1926–1970): Spanish journalist and first anchorman of Telediario Jesús de Polanco (1929–2007): businessman; founder of El País and Cadena SER Belén Esteban (1973): Spanish television personality Alba Flores, (born 1986): actress Shaila Dúrcal (1979): singer songwriter Matías Prats Luque (1952): Spanish sports and news journalist Paloma García Ovejero (1975): Spanish journalist and news broadcaster El Gran Wyoming (1955): Spanish humourist and actor Ana Rosa Quintana (1956): Spanish journalist and TV presenter David Cantolla (1967): founder of companies engaged in technology and entertainment; one of the creators of Pocoyo Ana Pastor (1977): Spanish journalist and anchorwoman Santiago Ziesmer (1953): German voice actor Marian Rivera (born 1984): Filipino actress Plácido Domingo (born 1941): opera singer tenor and conductor
Natural sciences Maslama al-Majriti (10th century – 1007/1008): Muslim astronomer Andrés Manuel del Río (1764–1849): Spanish-Mexican scientist and naturalist Ignacio Bolívar (1850–1944): Spanish naturalist and entomologist Gonzalo Rodriguez Lafora (1886–1971): Spanish neurologist Gregorio Marañón (1887–1960): Spanish physician, scientist, historian, writer and philosopher Carlos Jiménez Díaz (1898–1967): Spanish physician Francisco J. Ayala (1934–2023): Spanish-American biologist and philosopher at the University of California, Irvine Antonio García-Bellido (1936): Spanish developmental biologist; his ideas and new approaches to the problem of development have been followed and pursued by many researchers worldwide Mariano Barbacid (1949): Spanish molecular biologist Juan Luis Arsuaga (1954): Spanish anthropologist; member of the research team investigating Pleistocene deposits in the Atapuerca Mountains
Philosophy Rocío Orsi (1976-2014): Spanish philosopher and professor José Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955): Spanish liberal philosopher
Politics Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo (1370–1412): Castilian ambassador to the court of Timur Joanna la Beltraneja (1462–1530): Queen of Portugal and claimant to the throne of Castile Maria of Spain (1528–1603): spouse of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor Antonio Perez (1540–1611): secretary of Philip II of Spain Philip III of Spain (1578–1621): Spanish Habsburg monarch Ferdinand VI of Spain (1713–1759): King of Spain Charles III of Spain (1716–1788): King of Spain, Naples (as Charles VII) and Sicily (as Charles V) Isabella II of Spain (1830–1904): Queen of Spain Alfonso XII of Spain (1857–1885): King of Spain Álvaro de Figueroa, 1st Count of Romanones (1863–1950): Prime Minister of Spain Francisco Largo (1869–1946): politician and trade unionist Julián Besteiro (1870–1940): socialist politician Tomás Dominguez: Carlist and Francoist politician Alfonso XIII of Spain (1886–1941): King of Spain Miguel Maura (1887–1971): politician Luis Jiménez (1889–1970): politician; president of Parliament José Antonio Primo de Rivera (1903–1936): Spanish lawyer, nobleman and politician; founder of Falange Española Adolfo Rincón de Arellano Garcia (1910–2006): politician Enrique Tierno Galván (1918–1986): Mayor of Madrid from 1978 to 1986 Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo (1926–2008): Spanish political figure and prime minister during the period of transition after the end of Francisco Franco's regime Javier Solana (1942): Spanish politician; appointed the High Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of European Union and the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union Boti García Rodrigo (1945): Spanish LGBTI activist and the General Directorate of Sexual Diversity and LGBTI rights (2020–2023) Rodrigo Rato (1949): managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2004 to 2007 Esperanza Aguirre (1952): 3rd President of Madrid (2003–2012) and former president of the Spanish Senate (1999–2012) José María Aznar (1952): Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004 Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón (1958): former Minister of Justice; former Mayor of Madrid (2003–2011) Philip VI of Spain (1968): current king of Spain Pablo Iglesias Turrión (1978): Spanish political scientist and leader of Podemos
Popular music María Dolores Pradera (1924–2018): Spanish singer and actress Fina de Calderón (1927–2010): Spanish writer, poet, songwriter and musician Julio Iglesias (1943): Spanish singer-songwriter who has sold over 300 million records worldwide Rocío Durcal (1944–2006): Spanish singer and actress Massiel (1947): Spanish pop singer; winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 Rosendo Mercado (born 1954): rock singer and songwriter Antonio Vega (1957–2009): Spanish pop singer-songwriter; member of Nacha Pop Antonio Flores (1961–1995): Spanish singer-songwriter and actor Alejandro Sanz (1968): Spanish singer-songwriter and musician Los Chichos (1973–1995, 1990–2008): Spanish rumba band Enrique Iglesias (1975): Spanish singer-songwriter, model, and actor Barón Rojo (1980): Spanish heavy metal band Mecano (1981–1992): Spanish pop band Hombres G (1982–1992; 2002–present): Spanish pop-rock band Mägo de Oz (1988): Spanish rock and folk/heavy metal band Belinda (1989): Mexican singer-songwriter and actress Quevedo (born 2001): rapper
Religion Saint Isidro Labrador (1070–1130): Catholic patron saint of farmers and Madrid Juan Eusebio Nieremberg (1595–1658): Spanish Jesuit and mystic Álvaro del Portillo (1914–1992): former prelate of the Opus Dei
Scenic arts María Calderón, "La Calderona" (1611–1646): Spanish theatre actress and lover of Philip IV of Spain María Guerrero (1867–1928): Spanish theatre actress, producer and director Edgar Neville (1899–1967): Spanish playwright and film director, member of the Generation of '27 Antonio Castillo (1908–1984): Academy Award winning costume designer Juan Antonio Bardem (1922–2002): Spanish screenwriter and film director César Fernández Ardavín (1923–2012): Spanish film director and screenwriter; won the Golden Bear at the 10th Berlin International Film Festival Lina Morgan (1936–2015): Spanish actress and comedienne José Luis Garci (1944): Spanish director, won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1982 Carmen Maura (1945): Spanish actress; has collaborated with Pedro Almodóvar in several times Emilio Martínez Lázaro (1945): Spanish film director; shared a Golden Bear at the 28th Berlin International Film Festival María Kosti (1951): Spanish actress Fernando Trueba (1955): Spanish director; won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1994 Belén Rueda (1962): Spanish actress, known for her roles as Julia in The Sea Inside (2004) and as Laura in The Orphanage (2007) Santiago Segura (1965): Spanish film actor, screenwriter, producer and director Maribel Verdú (1970): Spanish actress Elsa Pataky (1976): Spanish and Australian actress and model Francisco Ortiz (1986): Spanish actor Amarna Miller (1990): Spanish actress Nathalia Ramos (1992): Spanish and American actress; born/lived in Madrid for two years
Social sciences
Mercedes Bengoechea (1952): feminist sociolinguist, professor Margarita María Birriel Salcedo (1953): professor, expert in women's history and women's studies Clara Campoamor (1888–1972): politician, lawyer, writer, mother of the Spanish feminist movement María Goyri (1873–1954): literary critic, researcher, educator, advocate for women's rights Juan Lopez de Hoyos (1511–1583): Spanish schoolmaster and Miguel de Cervantes' teacher Claudio Sánchez Albornoz (1893–1984): Spanish historian Manuel Tuñón de Lara (1915–1987): Spanish historian