PLAZA MAYOR

Sober and harmonious, it's Madrid's most beautiful plaza. The site was originally occupied by a market, during the period of Arab domination and even after the reconquest by Alfonso VI. To avoid having to pay taxes at the entrance to the city, which was still surrounded by a wall, merchants settled on the outskirts. Craftsmen and merchants lived all around, as evidenced by the names of the surrounding streets: cuchilleros (cutlers), herradores (blacksmiths), cofreros (laymen). Under Philip II, houses were demolished to free up space, and the casa de la Panadería (bread warehouse; "bakery house") was the first to be built in 1590.

Under Philip III, urbanization was entrusted to the architect Juan Gómez de la Mora. The project envisaged a square (120 m x 94 m) surrounded by five-storey buildings, of which the Panadería was already a part. The difference in level between the plaza and the San Miguel cellar was resolved by a staircase, the Cuchilleros staircase.

Since 1847, Philip III has had the honor of appearing in the Plaza Mayor with an equestrian statue. Throughout the 17th^century , the square was the scene not only of royal festivities, but also of the Inquisition's auto-dafés and public executions. It is said that during the Prince of Wales' visit to Madrid in 1623, a bullfight was held in his honor. For the first time, the dead bulls were removed by mules, a practice that continues to this day. During the reign of Philip IV, on the night of July 6-7, 1631, 27 houses in the Plaza Mayor were completely destroyed by fire, and a further 24 were partially destroyed. The fire lasted three days and 13 people perished. Juan de Villanueva, the architect appointed for the reconstruction, respected the original layout of the square, but took advantage of the opportunity to change the lead roofs to round tiles, and aligned the height of all the buildings with that of the casa de la Panadería. At the end of the 18th^century , paintings decorated the facade of the casa de la Panadería (twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve months of the year, allegory of the passing of time and the weather). The casa de la Panadería houses the tourist office.

The Plaza Mayor hosts all kinds of fairs and cultural events all year round, so it's not unusual for it to be occupied by small white huts. Every Sunday morning, stamp and coin collectors will find what they're looking for.