Plaza Mayor, Madrid

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I had expected the cafes to be full around midnight in Plaza Major. However, it seemed like most of the cafes were closing up and just a few folks milling about or finishing a beer or glass of wine. Considering how busy the place was a few hours earlier, it was strange to see things this quiet.

In the heart of Madrid the Plaza Mayor is steeped in history. Originally an Arab marketplace, In 1590 King Phillip II had it removed and a grand structure put in its place, to be used as a marketplace and meeting place. The original wooden structure 6 stories high, burnt down in 1790, when the present 'Casa de la Panadería' was built in the Flemish style. The statue in the centre of the square represents Phillip III.

Today its a typical place for visitors to gather, to relax and watch the world go by at the many Tapas bars. Try the typical Bocata de Calamares (Squid sandwich) and a beer. Its also a great central meeting place for VT meetings :0)

See the webcam at the link below.

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I feel as if I ran a gamut of emotions with the plaza mayor on this trip. First there was the anticipation of finally returning, the disappointment of its tent and atmosphere, the joy of experiencing it early in the morning, and then finally, acceptance during our last pass through it.

This plaza is full of the history of Spain. Started in late 1500's, this is where the Spainsh Inquisition took place, and where bull fights were a common activity. Nowadays it has tons of restaurants which can be classifed as tourist traps and souvenirs stores selling expensive items. This is usually the first place visited by everyone coming to Madrid. From here you can venture in 9 different directions into the cobblestones streets surrounding the Plaza. A must see site in Madrid. Give yourself about an hour to see the entire sqaure. Be forwarned about the restaurants that surround the square. I don't think you'll catch a local eating there.

The most unique feature of the Plaza Mayor is the "Casa de la Panadería" (Bakery House), which was built by Diego Silero. The style and dimensions of its facade were copied all along the rest of the square.
Around 1581, it was the meant as the centre of trade in what was a suburb beyond the town halls.
Successive fires destroyed the Casa de la Panadería which was restored some years later by Tomás Román and juan de Villanueva.

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Plaza Mayor is a very big market place in the middle of Madrid. It is more than 370 years old. The square was used for bull fighting, public executions, tournaments and burnings by the Spanish inquisition. The square is big enough to accommodate 100.000 people. Even now Plaza Mayor is still used for big events like concerts. It is a very impressive place and all appartments have balconies.

See link:
http://filipdemuinck-kristelpardon.blogspot.com/2010/04/plaza-mayor-madrid.html

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This is the typical square which should have every city. Full of tourists, famous, alive statue in every corner, expensive souvenirs in gift shops and all this i always enjoy. Just sitting and watching around, relaxing after whole day walking. These places always bring the good feeling of travelling, summer and holidays.
Plaza Mayor is square-shaped, red houses around have renaissance character. It was built in 1619 when a king of Spain was Phillip III. You can see his statue on the square.
There are many restaurants offering Tapas in the arcades, but overpriced. So I think Plaza Mayor - relax for a while and leave, there is not much to see.

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Shortly after leaving the Puerta del Sol plaza and its bustling activity related to the Three Kings festivities, we soon found ourselves in the amazing four-sided courtyard of Plaza Mayor. Things were also happening there with buskers and other forms of entertainment starting to take place, all probably part of the same festival.

However, in our case we were more interested in taking in this impressive piece of architecture with its 237 balconies and nine entrance portals, originally inaugurated in 1620 under the rule of King Philip III. Fires sweeping through cities were relatively common in the following eras, so it was necessary to reconstruct Plaza Mayor in its present form by 1790. The surrounding rooms are now used for residential purposes, along with traditional old shops around its lower level.

In the central part of the plaza is a bronze statue of King Philip III, the work of two Italian sculptors and completed in 1616 (2nd photo). It was not moved to Plaza Mayor until 1848, but is still a fine looking piece of work. After spending some time admiring the architecture and watching a few of the activities, we continued our walk through more quaint streets as we headed toward nearby Plaza de la Villa, another historic location that is now the seat of Madrid's elected officials.