More than 450 years ago, King Philip II of Spain decreed Madrid — a somewhat sleepy mountain town in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula — the capital of his empire. Many historians consider it an odd decision for a ruler whose maritime empire extended across three oceans and five continents and was connected by the largest navy the world had ever seen. Not only is Madrid 220 miles from the nearest Spanish port in Valencia on the Mediterranean, but it’s also 2,000 feet above sea level. A bustling seafaring city like Cadiz would have been a more obvious choice.
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