Alcalá de Henares (Spanish pronunciation: [alkaˈla ðe eˈnaɾes]), meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city whose historical centre is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. The city stands out for its rich archaeology and was one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain. Located in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, 35 kilometres (22 miles) northeast of the city of Madrid, at an altitude of 588 m (1,929 ft) above sea level, it has a population of around 200,000. Locally, the city is generally known simply as “Alcalá”, but “de Henares” is appended when needed to differentiate it from a dozen Spanish cities sharing the name Alcalá (from the Arabic word al-qal’a القلعة for fortification or citadel). The Latin name, Complutum, is sometimes used. The city is capital of its namesake region, Comarca de Alcalá. Alcalá de Henares (Spanish pronunciation: [alkaˈla ðe eˈnaɾes]), meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city whose historical centre is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. The city stands out for its rich archaeology and was one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain. Located in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, 35 kilometres (22 miles) northeast of the city of Madrid, at an altitude of 588 m (1,929 ft) above sea level, it has a population of around 200,000. Locally, the city is generally known simply as “Alcalá”, but “de Henares” is appended when needed to differentiate it from a dozen Spanish cities sharing the name Alcalá (from the Arabic word al-qal’a القلعة for fortification or citadel). The Latin name, Complutum, is sometimes used. The city is capital of its namesake region, Comarca de Alcalá.
At some time in the 1480s, Christopher Columbus had his first meeting with the Reyes Católicos, Ferdinand and Isabella, who financed the travel for the Discovery of America.