Plaza Mayor

The major tourist attraction - Plaza Mayor was built in Habsburg period. It’s rectangular in shape and is surrounded by three buildings having numerous balconies facing to Plaza. In the past, during the middle ages, this place was just a market. Only in XVI century Juan de Herrera turned this place into the real square.

This square was the scene of numerous events such as markets, bullfights, royal coronations, soccer games and public executions. Such spectacles could attend about 50000 spectators. Here are annual celebrations for Madrid’s patron saint San Isidro.

This symmetrical arcaded square features a homogeneous architecture. There is a statue of King Phillip III in the centre of the Plaza Mayor. Among the other outstanding sights of the Plaza there is the Casa de la Panaderia (The Royal bakery). This building is the most popular on the Plaza. It’s the seat of the powerful baker’s guilt. The design of the building is charaterized by symmetric impressive towers and dates from after the last fire in 1790. And in 1992 there were added colorful frescos. Now it’s the home of the city’s council. The Plaza Mayor is covered by the array of restaurants and street cafes and street artists pleasing the passers-by. The visitors can be much pleased by one of the most curious place here – the bar “Torre del Oro Bar Andalu”. Its design is charaterized by photographs and related bullfighting memorabilia. Bar la Pequenuca pleasants its visitors with bocadillos de calamares (bread rolls with deep fried squid rings) and a glass of cider.

On Sundays the Plaza Mayor is the place of trading and buying the old coins and stamps.

At Christmas the square turns into a large Christmas market owning all kinds of decorations.

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Location:	City Centre