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Margaret Thatcher, David Ferrer, Lope de Vega? No: Main Street, Church Street and Royal Street are Spain's most common
15/01/2017
THE MOST common street names in Spain are Calle Mayor, Calle de la Iglesia and Calle Real ('Main Street', 'Church Street' and 'Royal Street', and typically abbreviated to C/ Mayor and so on), according to prolific cartographer and linguist Jakub Marian.
A Czech national gradually becoming known for his European maps, Marian has already launched several with the most common first names, surnames and even what each country is most famous for.
The latest shows the most frequently-seen road names in different countries across the continent.
France refers to religious temples even more in its street names than Spain does, with Rue de l'Église and Place de l'Église ('Church Road' and 'Church Square') being two of the top three, along with Grande Rue ('Great Road').
For the UK, High Street, Station Road and Main Street are the most common, sharing the latter with the Republic of Ireland where Grand Canal Way and Royal Canal Way make up the remainder of the top three.
Other than Via Roma ('Rome Way'), Italy's top street names come from real people rather than places of worship or public transport, being Via Garibaldi and Via Marconi.
Portugal has not been included, but Luxembourg shares France's Rue de l'Église, and also Rue des Champs ('Field Road') and Rue des Près ('Meadow' or 'Pasture' Road).
Curiously, great international minds think alike, and most countries in Europe have the same or very similar ideas when naming their streets.
Germany's top three are Hauptstraße, Dorfstraße and Schulstraße ('Main Street', 'Village Street' and 'School Street'), sharing the first two with Switzerland, where Bahnhofstraße ('Station Street') is also in the top three.
Austria's main three also include 'Main Street' and 'Station Street', with the third being Feldgasse ('Field Alley').
The Netherlands and Belgium share the same three most-commonly seen road names - Kerkstraat, Schoolstraat and Molenstraat ('Church Street', 'School Street' and 'Mill Street'), whilst Denmark's Lærkevej, Birkevej and Vinkelvej ('Lark Street', 'Birch Street' and 'Corner Street'), and Poland's Ulica (written as Ul., like the English 'St.') Polna, Ul. Leśna, and Ul. Sloneczna ('Field Street', 'Forest Street' and 'Sunny Street') lean more towards nature.
More functional names are seen in Sweden - Ringvägen, Storgatan and Skolgatan ('Ringroad', 'Great Street' and 'School Street') – and Finland with Rantatie, Kirkkotie and Koulutie, or Rantakatu, Kirkkokatu and Koulukatu ('Beach Street', 'Church Street' and 'School Street').
Spain, however, although clearly not among the most-sighted three as shown by Marian's map, has a strong tendency to name streets after people, in the same way as Italy, France and Portugal.
Until recently, many were still named after dictator General Franco and his main men, but these are gradually being replaced.
It is not often a living person gets a street in Spain – authors, such as Azorín, Blasco Ibáñez, Antonio Machado, Lope de Vega, Cervantes, and Tirso de Molina; painters such as Zurbarán, Velázquez and Murillo; and musicians such as Manuel de Falla and Isaac Albéniz, all major names over several centuries of Spanish cultural history, are regulars, as are deceased scientists such as Alexander Fleming, Louis Pasteur and Santiago Ramón y Cajal, philosophers such as Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo and mathematicians such as Gabriel Císcar; in fact, even former UK Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher has her own street in Madrid.
Having a street named after you in Spain whilst you are still alive is an even greater honour, and one celebrity who holds this is tennis ace David Ferrer, whose name was given to the seafront esplanade in his birth town of Jávea (Alicante province) three years ago.
The Czech cartographer's 'alternative' maps go viral every time he produces a new one and publishes it on his website, JakubMarian.com.
Related Topics
THE MOST common street names in Spain are Calle Mayor, Calle de la Iglesia and Calle Real ('Main Street', 'Church Street' and 'Royal Street', and typically abbreviated to C/ Mayor and so on), according to prolific cartographer and linguist Jakub Marian.
A Czech national gradually becoming known for his European maps, Marian has already launched several with the most common first names, surnames and even what each country is most famous for.
The latest shows the most frequently-seen road names in different countries across the continent.
France refers to religious temples even more in its street names than Spain does, with Rue de l'Église and Place de l'Église ('Church Road' and 'Church Square') being two of the top three, along with Grande Rue ('Great Road').
For the UK, High Street, Station Road and Main Street are the most common, sharing the latter with the Republic of Ireland where Grand Canal Way and Royal Canal Way make up the remainder of the top three.
Other than Via Roma ('Rome Way'), Italy's top street names come from real people rather than places of worship or public transport, being Via Garibaldi and Via Marconi.
Portugal has not been included, but Luxembourg shares France's Rue de l'Église, and also Rue des Champs ('Field Road') and Rue des Près ('Meadow' or 'Pasture' Road).
Curiously, great international minds think alike, and most countries in Europe have the same or very similar ideas when naming their streets.
Germany's top three are Hauptstraße, Dorfstraße and Schulstraße ('Main Street', 'Village Street' and 'School Street'), sharing the first two with Switzerland, where Bahnhofstraße ('Station Street') is also in the top three.
Austria's main three also include 'Main Street' and 'Station Street', with the third being Feldgasse ('Field Alley').
The Netherlands and Belgium share the same three most-commonly seen road names - Kerkstraat, Schoolstraat and Molenstraat ('Church Street', 'School Street' and 'Mill Street'), whilst Denmark's Lærkevej, Birkevej and Vinkelvej ('Lark Street', 'Birch Street' and 'Corner Street'), and Poland's Ulica (written as Ul., like the English 'St.') Polna, Ul. Leśna, and Ul. Sloneczna ('Field Street', 'Forest Street' and 'Sunny Street') lean more towards nature.
More functional names are seen in Sweden - Ringvägen, Storgatan and Skolgatan ('Ringroad', 'Great Street' and 'School Street') – and Finland with Rantatie, Kirkkotie and Koulutie, or Rantakatu, Kirkkokatu and Koulukatu ('Beach Street', 'Church Street' and 'School Street').
Spain, however, although clearly not among the most-sighted three as shown by Marian's map, has a strong tendency to name streets after people, in the same way as Italy, France and Portugal.
Until recently, many were still named after dictator General Franco and his main men, but these are gradually being replaced.
It is not often a living person gets a street in Spain – authors, such as Azorín, Blasco Ibáñez, Antonio Machado, Lope de Vega, Cervantes, and Tirso de Molina; painters such as Zurbarán, Velázquez and Murillo; and musicians such as Manuel de Falla and Isaac Albéniz, all major names over several centuries of Spanish cultural history, are regulars, as are deceased scientists such as Alexander Fleming, Louis Pasteur and Santiago Ramón y Cajal, philosophers such as Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo and mathematicians such as Gabriel Císcar; in fact, even former UK Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher has her own street in Madrid.
Having a street named after you in Spain whilst you are still alive is an even greater honour, and one celebrity who holds this is tennis ace David Ferrer, whose name was given to the seafront esplanade in his birth town of Jávea (Alicante province) three years ago.
The Czech cartographer's 'alternative' maps go viral every time he produces a new one and publishes it on his website, JakubMarian.com.
Related Topics
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