Dall’impronta urbana alle fonti archivistiche. Il caso della Città Lineare di Madrid

The Linear City, built to the east of Madrid at the behest of Arturo Soria y Mata with construction starting in 1894, was an urban experiment that arose in response and in opposition to the mechanisms of the industrial city. Archival research has made it possible to identify the professionals involved in its realization. Initially, several architects and engineers worked for the Compañía Madrileña de Urbanización (a company founded by Soria y Mata); all of which would leave. In fact, most of the documents were signed by Emilio Vargas, Jefe del Negociado de Construcciones, who began his career as a delineante, a draftsman. In the absence of a solid cultural, architectural and scientific base, Vargas proved to be an excellent follower of the Sorian theory, able to reuse or adapt models designed by architects who collaborated with the company. In fact, he built most of the buildings in Ciudad Lineal and even won a competition.