Every city has a heart: usually something memorable that visitors associate with the place they are visiting and remember the most. In Paris it is the Eiffel Tower, in Rome — the Colosseum, in the USA — the Statue of Liberty, and in Madrid this role was assigned to such a very unusual landmark as Madrid’s Plaza Mayor. Let’s just say that there are few squares in the world that deserve such detailed attention and memorized by tourists in principle. The full name of this type of attractions sounds like «Plaza Mayor», which is not only in the heart of life and existence of the Spanish capital, but also embodies Madrid itself. Today, the square proudly carries a special status because long ago it was located outside the city walls. Its fate was decided the moment it became the main and most strategically important shopping plaza. The Plaza Mayor got its second wind during the reign of Philip.
III, who decreed its radical transformation. After this process was completed, the place acquired a new status: a permanent bullring was built on its territory, because at that time this sport, if it could be called such, was the most popular among the population of Madrid. This was done due to the fact that at that time in the city there was no special fixed place for these deadly dances. Therefore, today many tourists and just guests of the capital are involuntarily surprised by the perfect rectangular shape of the Plaza Mayor. All the buildings surrounding its perimeter are made in a single architectural style (the so-called Madrid Baroque). The main architect and creator of this miracle is Juan Gomez de Mora.
In this square, tourists can not only admire the buildings framing it, but also familiarize themselves with the two main monuments of Madrid: the Casa de la Panderia building and the statue of King Philip the Third. The most famous is the Casa de la Panderia, which was originally used as a bakery. Due to its luxurious appearance and rich interior decoration, it was often used as a venue for various receptions. The role of the square in the process of Madrid’s tourist development can hardly be overemphasized. It generates a significant amount of revenue due to the numerous stores, cafes, restaurants located on its territory and is the main place where all major and significant events are held. And if you’re an animal lover, you’ll be interested to read about the Madrid Zoo at this link.