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The Royal Palace of MadridCASA DECORPuerta del SolMercado de San AntónCerralbo Museum

Plaza Mayor

Things to do in Madrid | Community of Madrid | Spain

The Plaza Mayor is a major public space in the heart of Madrid, the capital of Spain. It was once the centre of Old Madrid,. It was first built during the reign of Philip III. Only a few blocks away is another famous plaza, the Puerta del Sol. The Plaza Mayor is for the people of Madrid and tourists to shop, walk around, eat, and enjoy the outdoors.

The Plaza Mayor dates back to the 15th century where it was originally called the "Plaza del Arrabal" and was used as the main market of the town. In 1561, the plaza was transferred to the city of Madrid. King Philip II commissioned Classical architect Juan de Herrera to remodel the area. Construction did not begin until Philip III's reign in 1617. Juan Gómez de Mora continued on the architectural renovation, and was finished two years later in 1619. The Plaza Mayor has suffered 3 major fires in its history. The first was in 1631. Juan Gómez de Mora took on the reconstructions of the plaza following this fire. The second of the fires occurred in 1670, with the architect Tomás Román in charge of the reconstruction. The last fire consumed a third of the square and took place in 1790. Today, the Plaza Mayor's architecture is credited to Juan de Villanueva. He handled the reconstruction following the massive fire in 1790. Prior to this, the buildings that enclosed the square were five stories. Juan de Villanueva lowered the square's surrounding buildings to three stories, closed the corners and created large entrances into the squares. Construction after Juan de Villanueva's death by Antonio López Aguado and Custodio Moreno and was finished in 1854. (Wikipedia)

Rating:

Google Rating4.6 / 5
Tripadvisor Rating4.2 / 5

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Address:

Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Community of Madrid 28012, SpainMap
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Category:

Attraction, Plaza / Square
Saved in Madrid Top Attractions for First-Time Visitors
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Visitors spend on average 1 - 2 hours here

Selected Trips

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Trip Blog Post by @gloria_v: Madrid, Spain | 2 days in May (itinerary, map & gallery)
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gloria_v
2 days in May

Madrid, Spain

Trip Blog Post by @mkyiv: Madrid/Toledo 🇪🇸 2015 | 4 days in Feb (itinerary, map & gallery)
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mkyiv
4 days in Feb

Madrid/Toledo 🇪🇸 2015

Trip Blog Post by @rodney_n: Madrid 2000 | 3 days in Jul (itinerary, map & gallery)
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rodney_n
3 days in Jul

Madrid 2000

Trip Blog Post by @danielatellezlicona: Madrid 🇪🇸 | 1 day in Mar (itinerary, map & gallery)
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danielatellezlicona
1 day in Mar

Madrid 🇪🇸

Selected Photos

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Plaza Mayor

Traveler Notes

En plaza mayor fue donde terminó el tour guiado, y después de despedirnos del guía fuimos directito a comer. Teníamos la comida incluida en uno de los bares más antiguos de Madrid, en el que venden las bocatas y raciones más tradicionales. Justo pedimos las dos bocatas más conocidas y las que no podíamos irnos sin probarlas. Roberto pidió la de calamares fritos y yo la de tortilla pero ambas las compartimos. Cada bocata tenía incluida la bebida y como buenos españoles pedimos una cerveza y un tinto de verano.

Madrid 🇪🇸
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