San Sebastián de los Reyes

San Sebastián de los Reyes was founded on defiance. In 1488 some thirty families fled the neighbouring town of Alcobendas and its overbearing feudal lord, built huts around a hermitage of Saint Sebastian, and appealed to the Crown; in 1492 the Catholic Monarchs took the new settlement under royal protection — hence "de los Reyes", "of the Kings". Five centuries later the two towns have grown back together into one urban continuum twenty kilometres north of Madrid, but "Sanse" has never surrendered its separate soul.

That soul runs through its streets every summer, quite literally: the encierros of the fiestas of the Cristo de los Remedios, documented since 1525, are held to be Spain's most important bull runs after Pamplona's — the town is proudly nicknamed "La Pamplona chica", and celebrated five hundred years of the tradition in 2025. The other local temple of speed is the Jarama motor-racing circuit, which once hosted the Spanish Grand Prix. Culture has its own address on the Avenida de Baunatal: the Teatro Auditorio Adolfo Marsillach, opened in 1995 and named after the great Spanish actor and director, a 700-seat hall that carries the town's theatre, dance and music season — including, in November 2008, a touring "Aida" documented in this archive. A royal charter, a race track and the thunder of hooves: Sanse earned its name.