Plaza Mayor

This spectacular city square, which is Madrid's most well-known plaza, is a must-see for any visitor. Plaza Mayor, which was first constructed outside the city walls, has hosted bullfights, marketplaces, concerts, soccer matches, and executions. In the center, across from the exquisitely painted Casa de la Panadera, the old headquarters of the bakers guild, is a monument of Philip III.

The current Plaza Mayor, which is rectangular in design, emphasizes the consistency of the building style. The Plaza is 129 m by 94 m in size. On the three-story residential buildings that face the Plaza inward, there are 237 balconies. There are 10 entrances, but only nine gates, to select from either entering or leaving The Plaza Mayor. The entrances are identified as follows: 7 de Julio, Arco de Triunfo, and Felipe III in the north; Sal, Zaragoza, and Gerona in the east; Botoneras, Toledo, and Cuchilleros in the south; and Ciudad Rodrigo in the west. In the middle of the square is a statue of Philip III mounted on a horse that dates back to 1848. Numerous events have been held in the Plaza Mayor.

At the heart of the square stands a bronze statue of King Philip III that Jean Boulogne and Pietro Tacca produced in 1616. The equestrian statue of Philip III by Giambologna was first erected in 1616, but it wasn't until 1848 that it was put in the middle of the square. At that time, the Duke of Florence gave the statue as a gift. Queen Isabel II gave the order to transfer it from Casa de Campo to serve as the Plaza Mayor's focal point.

Location: Mayor Square, Madrid