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
• Antonio González Echarte (1864–1943): Spanish civil engineer; one of the creators of the Madrid Metro^[1]
• Carlos Mendoza y Sáez de Argandoña (1872–1950): Spanish civil engineer; one of the creators of the Madrid Metro^[2]
• 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 (1582–1648): 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
• 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

• 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
• 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, a member of the Generation of '27
• 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)
• Marcela de San Félix (1605–1688): poet, actress, and playwright
• Carlos Semprún (1926–2009), writer and dramatist
• Francisco Umbral (1932–2007): Spanish novelist, journalist, essayist and biographer

Media and entertainment

• Jesús Álvarez (1926–1970): Spanish journalist and first anchorman of Telediario
• Pablo Arbúes (born 2002): Spanish actor
• Jesús de Polanco (1929–2007): businessman; founder of El País and Cadena SER
• Belén Esteban (1973): Spanish television personality
• 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^[3]
• Ana Pastor (1977): Spanish journalist and anchorwoman
• Guillermo García Carsí (1974): director and creator of Pocoyo^[4]
• Santiago Ziesmer (1953): German voice actor
• Marian Rivera (born 1984): Filipino actress

Natural sciences

• Maslama al-Majriti (10th century – 1007 or 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
• Manuel Díaz Rubio (1908–1976): Spanish physician; made important contributions in the field of liver and digestive diseases^[5][6]
• 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): molecular biologist
• José Bermúdez de Castro (1952): Spanish anthropologist; a member of the research team investigating Pleistocene deposits in the Atapuerca Mountains^[7]
• Juan Luis Arsuaga (1954): Spanish anthropologist; a member of the research team investigating Pleistocene deposits in the Atapuerca Mountains
• Ignacio Martínez Mendizábal (1961): Spanish anthropologist, a member of the research team investigating Pleistocene deposits in the Atapuerca Mountains^[8]

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
• 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 and 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, a 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 & 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 & Australian actress & model
• Amarna Miller (1990): former Spanish porn actress
• Nathalia Ramos (1992): Spanish & American actress; born/lived in Madrid for two years

Social sciences

• Mercedes Bengoechea (born 1952): feminist sociolinguist, professor
• Margarita María Birriel Salcedo (born 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
• Pio Filippani Ronconi (1920–2010): Italian orientalist
• Jesús Huerta de Soto (1956): economist

Sports

• Antonio Rebollo (born 1955): Paralympic archery
• José Navarro Morenés (1897–1974): Spanish horse rider
• Luis González Maté (born 1931): retired Spanish boxer
• Luis Aragonés (1938–2014): former Spanish footballer and national coach
• Manolo Santana (1938–2021): former amateur tennis champion
• Florentino Pérez (born 1957): Spanish businessman, civil engineer, former politician; current president of Real Madrid C.F., and Grupo ACS
• Begoña Gómez Martín (born 1964): Olympic judoka
• Carlos Sainz (born 1962): Spanish rally driver
• Fernando Martín Espina (1962–1989): Spanish basketball player
• Emilio Butragueño (born 1963): Spanish retired footballer
• Pedro García Aguado (1968): former water polo player; current psychologist
• Jesús Ángel García (born 1969): Spanish race walker
• Mario Gimeno (born 1969): Spanish retired footballer
• Rafael Pascual, "El Toro" (1970): Spanish volleyball player
• Raúl González (1977): professional football player
• Estela Giménez (1979): retired rhythmic gymnast
• Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño (1980): professional golfer
• Alberto Falcón (born 1970): former professional fencer
• Gabi Fernández (born 1983): professional footballer
• Fernando Verdasco (1983): professional tennis player
• Coke Andújar (1987): professional footballer
• Jenni Hermoso (1990): professional footballer for the Spain national team
• Claudia Zornoza (1990): professional footballer for the Spain national team
• David De Gea (1990): professional football player
• Javier Fernández López (1991): professional figure skater, 2018 Olympic games bronze medalist, double world champion (2015, 2016), 7-times European champion.
• Koke Resurrección (born 1992): professional footballer
• Adrián Mateos (1994): professional poker player
• Carlos Sainz Jr. (born 1994): Spanish Formula One racing driver

Visual arts

• Sebastián Herrera Barnuevo (1611–1616): Spanish painter, architect and sculptor
• Francisco Camilo (1615–1673): Spanish Baroque painter
• Francisco Rizi (1608–1615): Spanish Baroque painter
• Francisco de Solís (1620–1645): Spanish Baroque painter^[9]
• Claudio Coello (1642–1693): Spanish Baroque painter
• Eduardo Rosales (1836–1873): Spanish realist painter
• José Gutiérrez Solana (1886–1945): Spanish expressionist painter and printmaker^[10]
• Juan Gris (1887–1927): international artist of Cubism
• Lucio Muñoz (1929–1998): Spanish abstract painter and engraver
• Eduardo Arroyo (1937–2018): Spanish painter and graphic artist
• Juan Muñoz (1953–2001): Spanish sculptor, working primarily in papier-mâché, resin and bronze
• Ouka Leele (1957–2022): Spanish photographer
• Chema Madoz (1958): Spanish photographer, best known for his black and white surrealist photography
• Muelle (1966–1995): Spanish graffiti pioneer
• Arturo Berned (1966 – ), Spanish sculptor

Others

• María Cayetana de Silva (1762–1802): 13th Duchess of Alba
• Manuela Malasaña (1791–1808): one of the townspeople who lost their lives during the Dos de Mayo Uprising against the troops of Napoleon I of France during the Peninsular War
• Enma Iranzo Martín (1959): pharmaceutical biochemist and Spanish politician
• Agatha Ruiz de la Prada (1960): Spanish designer
• Victoria Zárate Zurita (1893-1964): teacher and trade unionist

Other influential people who have lived in Madrid

Architecture and urban planning

• Juan de Herrera (1530–1597): Spanish architect, mathematician and geometrician
• Filippo Juvarra (1678–1736): Italian architect and stage set designer
• Ventura Rodríguez (1717–1785): Spanish architect and artist
• Francesco Sabatini (1722–1897): Italian architect
• Antonio Palacios (1872–1945): Spanish architect
• Miguel Otamendi (1878–1958): Spanish civil engineer, known for being one of the creators of the Madrid Metro

Army

• Don John of Austria (1545–1578): illegitimate son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, best known for his victory at the Battle of Lepanto

Engineering

• Leonardo Torres y Quevedo (1852–1936): Spanish civil engineer and mathematician

Finances

• Ramón Areces Rodríguez (1905–1989): Spanish businessman and founder of El Corte Inglés
• Emilio Botín (1934–2014): Spanish banker; former Executive Chairman of Spain's Grupo Santander

Formal sciences

• Grégoire de Saint-Vincent (1584–1667): Flemish Jesuit mathematician
• Jean-Charles de la Faille (1597–1652): Flemish Jesuit mathematician
• Johann Baptist Cysat (1587–1657): Swiss Jesuit mathematician and astronomer
• Hugh Sempill (between 1589 and 1596 – 1654): Scottish Jesuit mathematician and linguist

Literature

• Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616): Spanish novelist, poet and playwright; soldier; his magnum opus, Don Quixote, is the first modern European novel
• Luis de Góngora (1561–1627): Spanish Baroque lyric poet
• Manuel de Faria e Sousa (1590–1649): Portuguese poet and historian^[11]
• Miguel Unamuno (1864–1936): Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher; Greek professor and later rector at the University of Salamanca
• Pío Baroja (1872–1956): Spanish Basque writer, one of the key novelists of the Generation of '98
• Vicente Aleixandre (1889–1984): Spanish poet, Nobel Prize in Literature 1977
• Federico García Lorca (1898–1936): Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director
• Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961): American author and journalist
• Camilo José Cela (1916–2002): Spanish novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize in Literature 1989
• Mario Vargas Llosa (1936): Peruvian-Spanish writer, politician, journalist, essayist, and recipient of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature

Media and entertainment

• Torcuato Luca de Tena (1861–1929): Spanish journalist, founder of the ABC newspaper
• Matías Prats Cañete (1913–2004): Spanish radio and television journalist

Music

• Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757): Italian composer; spent much of his life in the service of the Portuguese and Spanish royal families
• Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805): Italian classical era composer
• Tomás Bretón (1850–1923): Spanish musician and composer of zarzuelas
• Lola Flores (1923–1995): Spanish singer, dancer and actress
• Joaquín Sabina (1949): Spanish singer, songwriter, and poet
• José Antonio Bowen (born 1952): American jazz musician and president of Goucher College
• Nacho Canut (1957): bass player and one of the main composers (along with Alaska) of the bands Alaska y los Pegamoides, Alaska y Dinarama and Fangoria
• Loquillo (1960): Spanish rock singer and founder of Loquillo y Trogloditas
• Alaska (1963): Spanish-Mexican singer, DJ, and TV personality; one of the main characters in the so-called Movida
• Shakira (1977): Colombian singer-songwriter, dancer and model
• Sharon Corr (1970): Irish singer-songwriter, musician and television personality, member of The Corrs

Natural sciences

• Alexius Sylvius Polonus (1593–1653): Polish Jesuit astronomer and maker of astronomical instruments
• Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934): Spanish pathologist, histologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel laureate (1906)
• Severo Ochoa (1905–1933): Spanish–American Doctor of Medicine and Biochemist, and joint winner of the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Philosophy

• Baltasar Gracián (1601–1658): Spanish Jesuit and baroque prose writer and philosopher; his proto-existentialist writings were lauded by Nietzsche and Schopenhauer
• María Zambrano (1904–1991): Spanish essayist and philosopher

Politics

• Philip II of Spain (1527–1598): Habsburg King of Spain and Portugal; during his reign, Spain reached the height of its influence and power
• Count-Duke of Olivares (1587–1645): Spanish royal favourite of Philip IV; minister
• Philip IV of Spain (1605–1665): King of Spain and Portugal (as Philip III)
• Philip V of Spain (1683–1743): first Spanish King of the House of Bourbon
• Elizabeth Farnese (1692–1766): Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip V, and de facto ruler of Spain from 1714 until 1746
• Joseph Bonaparte (1768–1844): elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, King of Spain (1808–1813, as José I)
• Simón Bolivar (1783–1830): Venezuelan military and political leader; played a key role in Hispanic America's successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire
• Ferdinand VII of Spain (1784–1833): Spanish monarch
• Baldomero Espartero (1793–1879): Spanish general and political figure; associated with the radical (or progressive) wing of Spanish liberalism and would become their symbol and champion after taking credit for the victory over the Carlists in 1839
• Leopoldo O'Donnell (1808–1867): Spanish general and statesman
• Francisco Pi y Margall (1824–1901): liberal Spanish statesman and romanticist writer; was briefly president of the short-lived First Spanish Republic in 1873
• Práxedes Mateo Sagasta (1825–1903): Prime Minister of Spain during the Spanish–American War of 1898 (during which time Spain lost its remaining colonies), and founder of the Liberal Party
• Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (1828–1897): Spanish politician and historian, known principally for serving six terms as Spanish Prime Minister
• Emilio Castelar y Ripoll (1832–1899): Spanish republican politician, and a president of the First Spanish Republic
• Amadeo I of Spain (1845–1890): the only King of Spain from the House of Savoy
• José Rizal (1861–1896): Filipino nationalist and revolutionary
• Francisco Franco (1892–1975): Spanish dictator from 1939 to 1975
• Pablo Iglesias (1887–1927): Spanish socialist and labour leader, founder of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and the Spanish General Worker's Union (UGT)
• Manuel Azaña (1880–1940): first Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic (1931–1933)
• Juan Perón (1895–1974): Argentine military officer and politician
• Carlos Lopez-Cantera (1973): Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. State of Florida (2014–2019)
• Santiago Carrillo (1915–2012): general secretary of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) from 1960 to 1981
• Manuel Fraga Iribarne (1922–2012): Spanish People's Party politician
• Adolfo Suárez (1932-2014): Spain's first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and the key figure in the country's transition to democracy
• Simeon II of Bulgaria (1937): important political and royal figure in Bulgaria
• Juan Carlos I of Spain (1938): King of Spain from 1975 to 2014
• Queen Sofía of Spain (1938): Queen consort and wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain
• Felipe González (1942): Prime Minister of Spain, after having served four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996
• Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida (1952): Minister of Governance and Institutional Relations of the Generalitat de Catalunya
• Mariano Rajoy (1955): current Prime Minister of Spain, elected on 21 December 2011
• José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (1960): Prime Minister of Spain from 2004 to 2011

Religion

• Josemaría Escrivá (1902–1975): Roman Catholic priest from Spain and founder of Opus Dei

Scenic arts

• Luis Buñuel (1900–1983): Aragonese filmmaker who worked in Spain, Mexico and France
• Fernando Fernán Gómez (1921–2007): Spanish actor, screenwriter, film director, theater director and member of the Royal Spanish Academy
• Sara Montiel (1928–2013): Spanish singer and actress
• Alfredo Landa (1933–2013): Spanish actor; winner of Best Actor Award (Cannes Film Festival 1984)
• Pedro Almodóvar (1949): Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer; member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2001
• Javier Bardem (1969): Spanish actor; won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2007
• Alejandro Amenábar (1972): Chilean-Spanish film director, screenwriter and composer; won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2005

Social sciences

• Beatriz Galindo, "La Latina" (1465?–1534): Spanish physician and educator; writer, humanist and a teacher of Queen Isabella of Castile and her children
• Francisco Giner de los Ríos (1839–1915): Spanish philosopher, educator; one of the most influential Spanish intellectuals at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century
• Ramón Menéndez Pidal (1869–1968): Spanish philologist and historian

Sports

• Cristiano Ronaldo (born 1985): Famous Portuguese striker who has played in Real Madrid C.F.
• Santiago Bernabéu Yeste (1895–1978): former president of Real Madrid C.F.
• Vicente Calderón (1913–1987): Spanish businessman and president of Atlético Madrid for twenty years

Visual arts

• Vincenzo Carducci (1598–1638): Italian painter
• Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664): Spanish Baroque painter
• Diego Velázquez (1599–1660): Spanish Baroque painter, important as a portrait artist
• Giambattista Tiepolo (1696–1770): Italian painter and printmaker
• Anton Raphael Mengs (1728–1779): German painter
• Francisco Goya (1746–1828): Spanish Romantic painter and printmaker, regarded both as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns
• Federico de Madrazo (1815–1894): Spanish realist painter
• Juan Luna (1857–1899): Filipino painter, sculptor and a political activist of the Philippine Revolution
• Pablo Picasso (1881–1973): Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer; spent most of his adult life in France
• Salvador Dalí (1904–1989): Spanish Catalan surrealist painter
• Francis Bacon (1909–1992): Irish-born British figurative painter
• Fernando Botero (1932–2023): Colombian figurative artist and sculptor; considered the most recognized and quoted living artist from Latin America
• Antonio López García (1936): Spanish painter and sculptor
• Carmen Cervera (1943): Spanish philanthropist, socialite and art dealer and collector