The Manzanares Park is a natural space structured by the Manzanares River from the junction of M-30 to its confluence with the Jarama River. Although a fraction urbanized North Park (Ricardo Bofill) is now an archaeological and natural reservoir of the Community of Madrid.

Carpetanos:

Just on the edge of Manzanares Park found the Cerro de la Gavia, owned by ADIF, which is protected archaeological, and that on him, the remains of one of the towns most important Carpetani Madrid The Town of La Gavia.
The Carpetani settled in the Park between the third century C. and the third century C. Years of settlement were that the remains we found are abundant today, retains 70% of the structure of the village.

Romans:

In the park were several Roman sites. The most important of Villaverde, was in a place known as Uncle Ventorro Arenero of Blas. José Pérez de Barradas was responsible for the investigation of this deposit, known as the Villa Romana de Villaverde.
It found the remains of walls and floors, and some pieces of mosaic, as well as several bronze objects, coins, ceramics and metals. One of the most remarkable discoveries was the head of an alabaster statue, the head of Silenus.
Another important site is found in Martin's Sandbox, located near the River Manzanares. It found six graves, possibly Roman. The best preserved skeleton contained a juvenile is believed to be a woman in a supine position.
Found objects as well as part of the mosaic were taken during the excavations, so today you can not find any trace of the Roman villa in Villaverde original location.

Bourbon:

In the park we can find remains from the time of the Bourbons, who intended to make navigable the River Manzanares. For this purpose a parallel to the river channel which, starting from the Puente de Toledo extract their water from that and through locks, allow navigation of small barges to the town of Rivas. This channel is the Royal Canal del Manzanares.
Other traces still remain from the period are the House of Fourth and Mill Lock Carton. The first, which still remains, was the building of workers in the fourth lock of the Royal Canal del Manzanares. Another past, maybe not as nice and much more recent, is the headquarters of the troops of the People's Army Commander of the Spanish Republic, Enrique Lister.

Inside the main room of the house has undergone major changes in recent centuries. Today, cattle troughs and mules that pulled canal barges are work; the original timber was used by the Republican troops to keep warm in winter during the Civil War. The fireplace with bread oven in the vicinity fed to the Court of Ferdinand VII and Bourbon itself.
It is believed that Luis Candelas also visited the house of the Lock Fourth night turned into a brothel by the Bourbon.

Spanish Civil War:

Since late 1936, in full Battle of Madrid until the end of the war in 1939, the stretch of the river Manzanares that runs through the park was a natural moat of contention for the advancement of General Franco's Nationalist troops, standing in around the line of Republican defense. From Vallecas and Villaverde to Rivas Vaciamadrid miles of trenches were dug and several defensive positions in some cases were the scene of fierce fighting on the right bank of river.
Currently you can find in the park many remnants of that era, including trenches and control stations that have been preserved almost intact.

News:

It is undisputed strong degeneration of the environment of the Linear Park in the last thirty years. Since poorly integrated infrastructure, to illegal dumping and uncontrolled use of this vast and fragile natural and historical space.
This degeneration has been used by governments to provide alternatives in the form of other public uses that could end this space as it is known for his controversial economic and environmental sustainability.

This Linear Park of the Manzanares and debate between positions it encourage construction of large infrastructure of supply and leisure, converting or making it disappear, compared to other conservation, aiming to integrate their realities and potential environmental, archaeological and historical. The degradation is then used by all as an argument supporting the position advocated.

It is currently under construction in the grounds of the Parque Lineal del Manzanares (Tranche 2) the construction of high speed train to the East in connection Atocha-Torrejón de Velasco. The environmental impact, landscape and historical heritage to the Park will be of great importance and condition any further attempts to enhance the value of the Heritage 3.
Also of great impact will the Olympic rowing canal Getafe Madrid City Council plans to install with no date fixed in Section 2 of the Linear Park. In this case more than one million square feet will occupy the valley of the Manzanares in a lack of attention will be diverted the river, removing existing biotopes, archaeological remains and ultimately simplifying a living environment of large chance it will not be retrofitted historical and environmental.
Also of great interest is the work that the City of Madrid runs in connection Linear Park Section 1 of the Madrid-Rio project. It is a pedestrian and bicycle walkway linking land formerly separated by the ring road in Madrid M-30 and give a new dimension to the closest land Manzanares Park to the capital Madrid.