Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor of Madrid

The Plaza Mayor is located in the heart of Madrid a few meters from the Puerta del Sol and the Royal Palace. The square is 129 meters long by 94 meters wide and is surrounded by arcades and 3-floors buildings.

In the construction of the square intervened several architects, between which they emphasize Juan de Herrera and Juan Gómez de Mora, since they were the true creators. With the passage of time and the various fires suffered, the Plaza Mayor has been rebuilt and renovated several times.

In the fifteenth century the Plaza Mayor was called the Plaza del Arrabal, later the Plaza Mayor has adopted other names such as: Plaza de la Constitución, Plaza Real and Plaza de la República. The current name has been preserved since the end of the Civil War.
Points of interest in the square

In the Plaza Mayor we can find three places of special interest:

• Statue of Felipe III: Created in 1616 by Juan de Bologna and Pietro Tacca, it was a gift of the Duke of Florence to the Spanish king. Until the middle of the XIX century it was in the Casa de Campo.
• Bakery House: It is the most important building and was the first to be built in 1590. Initially it was the most important bakery in Madrid. The facade is decorated by Carlos Franco.
• El Arco de Cuchilleros: This arch is the best known between nine access gates that to the Plaza Mayor. The name comes from the street with which it communicates, Cuchilleros street.

The Plaza Mayor at Christmas

For almost 150 years, at Christmas the Plaza Mayor is full of stalls with Christmas items, jokes and costumes of all kinds.