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The Plaza Mayor was originally called Plaza del Arrabal which
translates into English as "Plaza outside the walls". It was
originally a market
square in the 1400s, used by local traders to sell their goods. Later, Madrid was
named capital of Spain in 1561, Philip II charged the architect Juan de
Herrera with redesigning the Plaza. Although he drew plans for a
complete redesign, only the Casa de la Panaderia was built initially
(see picture below left).
Fifty years later, Philip III commissioned Juan Gomez de la Mora to
complete the task. Plaza Mayor was then completed in less than two
years.
Initially the plaza was bounded on three sides by huge wooden
buildings. However, in 1631 all the buildings were burnt to ground in a
huge fire. Fires returned again in 1672 and 1790 to once again destroy
the square. Each time the plaza was rebuilt. |
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Casa de la Panaderia dominates the plaza. It is a two-spired
structure (see left) with a clock set at the top of one spire and a
barometer (see right) in the other. Originally the plaza hosted major
events in Madrid such as bullfights, royal marriages and balls.
Nowadays, many festivals start and end at Plaza Mayor. For locals and
tourists alike the Plaza Mayor is at the centre of cafe life. Simply
relax in one of the undoubtedly over-priced cafes round the edges of the
plaza and you can spend an hour or two people-watching. |
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After or during your cafe drink, take a closer look at
some of the murals on the Casa de la Panaderia. Almost all are highly
erotic in typical Spanish style. In the centre of the plaza is a
statue of Philip III on horseback. It was originally placed in the Casa
de Campo but for some reason moved to the Plaza mayor in the 1800s. It
was designed by Giambologna Tacca and Pietro Tacca. |
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