Plaza Mayor Madrid: Five Centuries of History in One Square

The Plaza Mayor is the most recognisable space in historic Madrid and one of the finest Baroque ensembles in Spain. But the square we see today is not exactly the one built in the 17th century — it has survived three fires, several reconstructions, and five centuries of intense public use.

From a medieval market to a royal square

The space now occupied by the Plaza Mayor was, in the Middle Ages, the Plaza del Arrabal — a market outside the medieval city walls. When Philip II established the capital in Madrid in 1561, the city grew rapidly, and Philip III commissioned the transformation of that market into a monumental square that would symbolise imperial power.

Juan Gómez de Mora and the first square (1617–1619)

The architect Juan Gómez de Mora designed the square between 1617 and 1619: a rectangular enclosed space of 128 × 94 metres, surrounded by uniform red-brick buildings with arcaded ground-floor galleries and garret storeys. The most important building was the Casa de la Panadería — the royal bakery occupied its ground floor — presiding over the north side.

Philip III inaugurated the square in 1619 with a bullfight. The equestrian statue of Philip III that presides over the centre today — cast in Florence in 1616 by Giambologna and Pietro Tacca — was placed there in 1848 (it had previously stood in the Parque del Buen Retiro).

Three fires and Villanueva's reconstruction

The Plaza Mayor suffered serious fires in 1631, 1672, and 1790. The 1790 fire was the most devastating. Juan de Villanueva — the same architect who designed the Prado building — oversaw a reconstruction that largely defines the square as it stands today. Villanueva reduced the height of the buildings from six storeys to four and modified the facades, giving the square its more uniform, restrained appearance.

The Casa de la Panadería was decorated with allegorical frescoes — the current ones date from 1992, painted by Carlos Franco — which give it its characteristic colourful appearance.

The great public events

The Plaza Mayor was the stage for the major public events of imperial and Bourbon Madrid:

Autos-da-fé: The Spanish Inquisition held its principal autos-da-fé in the square, with thousands of spectators in the balconies of the surrounding buildings. The last auto-da-fé in the square was in 1680.

Bullfights: For two centuries, the Plaza Mayor was Madrid's principal bullring, with balconies rented out at seasonal rates. Bullfights moved to the Plaza de Toros on the Carretera de Aragón in 1749.

Canonisations and beatifications: Isidro Labrador, patron saint of Madrid, was beatified in the square in 1620 and canonised in 1622, together with Saint Teresa of Ávila, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and Saint Francis Xavier.

Royal proclamations: The monarchs of Spain were proclaimed publicly in the Plaza Mayor.

The Plaza Mayor today

The square was pedestrianised in the second half of the 20th century and is now one of Madrid's principal public spaces. The arcades house bars, restaurants, and shops. At Christmas, Madrid's most traditional Christmas market is held here; throughout the rest of the year it hosts concerts, performances, and the Sunday stamp and coin market.

See also our guide to Habsburg Madrid and Madrid gastronomy.

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References:

• Tovar Martín, Virginia — Juan Gómez de Mora: arquitecto y trazador del Rey. Madrid, 1986.
• Madrid City Council — Historic Heritage.