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| Home » Major Tourist Attractions » Plaza Mayor
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Plaza Mayor |
The Plaza Mayor in Madrid is a splendid arcaded square in the center of the city and is a highly popular destination in Madrid with both tourists and locals. This symmetrical rectangular square structure displays a uniform architecture which is very similar to the contemporary architectural works. This place offers an interesting history for tourists to know about. Know more about the tourist destination of Plaza Mayor in Madrid as spaintravelhub.com gives you an interesting account about the tourist destinations in Madrid.
This site was a mere market place outside the city walls during the middle ages. King Philip II in the 1560s asked Juan de Herrera who was the architect of the Escorial to turn this market place into a real square. But until 1617 under King Philips III the construction of this plaza couldn’t be started. It was completed in 2 years under the directions of Juan Gómez de la Mora Herrera’s successor. It led to a large square which measured almost 120m long and 90m wide and was surrounded by wooden buildings which were at one time even 6stories high. History has it that thrice these buildings were destroyed by fire. The Plaza Mayor since its creation has been the center of festivities like bull fights, royal coronations and executions which were attended by at least 50,000 spectators and till date this plaza is used for public celebration purposes.
This plaza also boasts of a bronze statue of King Philips III at the center of the square. It was constructed by the Italian sculptors Giovanni de Bologna in 1616. It was moved from the Casa de Campo to the Plaza Mayor in 1848 and around this same time the plaza was designed again with gardens but those were also removed in 1936. The Casa de la Panaderia is the most prominent building on the Plaza Mayor. It was completed in 1590 even before the square was built and after the last fire in 1790 it was redesigned and the colorful paintings are a recent addition in 1992. This place is bound to interest tourists who love to explore and you will be amazed at the variety of aspects this place in Madrid has to offer. Know more about the major tourist destinations in Madrid as spaintravelhub.com offers information about Plaza Mayor in Madrid.
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