Plaza de España, Madrid

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I enjoyed the statue of Don Quixote and his sidekick, Sancho Panza, located on one side of the massive obelisk in the middle of the Plaza de España. This larger than life statue consists of Don Quixote riding his horse, Rocinante, while his friend rides along beside him on his donkey. The size difference and the way the two are portrayed brought a smile to my face. And watching over both of them, seated above on the obelisk, is the author of Don Quixote, the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. On either side of the statues are stone sculptures of Adonza Lorenzo and Dulcinea del Toboso, Don Quixote’s “true love”.

The sculptures were created by Lorenzo Coullaut Valera in the late 1920s. The entire monument was not completed until the 1950s, finished by Federico Coullaut-Valera Mendigutia, the son of the Lorenzo Coullaut Valera.

In front of the sculpture grouping is a pool of water, creating a nice reflection on sunny days, and a semi-peaceful park location for visitors to enjoy in a rather busy location of Madrid. The park is surrounded by tall skyscrapers on several sides and is just down the road from the Palacio Real and its peaceful Sabatini Gardens.

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Plaza De Espana is a peaceful little oasis in the heart of Madrid just off of the Gran Via. It was not far from our hotel and on the way to the Royal Palace and Madrid Cathedral.

Right smack in the middle of the plaza is a monument to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, who was the author of Don Quixote. The statue was designed by architects Rafael Martínez Zapatero and Pedro Muguruza and sculptor Lorenzo Coullaut Valera. It was constructed in two phases beginning in 1925 and completed in 1956. Amongst the details of the monument there is also a statue to Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza.

On the day we were there the plaza was not very crowded however there were many vendors selling food and drink.

I loved the monument to Cervantes located here. As well as a statue of Cervantes himself it consisted of statues of his main characters such as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. We were lucky to find the statue as during our visit it was obscured by a Christmas craft market. Metro: Plaza de Espana.

D Quixote de la Mancha is the central figure of this central square, and the only detail that allows me to link it to Spain.

The architecture is somewhat closer to central europe, and the place too quiet and cold to Spain.

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On the centrre of Plaza de Espana stands a massive stone obelisk with a statute of Miguel Cervantes the author of Don Quixote. Below Cervantes is a statute of Don Quixote on his horse Rocinanate.

Sancho Panza is on the donkey.

Our tour bus stopped for a few minutes for this photo shoot.

This two buildings are located on Plaza Espana at the end of Gran Via street. There are the largest building in Madrid. Torre de Madrid has 142 meters of height and it was built in 1957. Nicknamed La Jirafe it was the tallest bulding in Madrid until the Torre Picasso was built in 1989. Edificio de Espana was built between 1947 and 1953 and is the most elegant of the two skyscrapers. There are 25 story towers flanked by two wings.

Square is located at the end of the Gran Via street. This beautiful plaza has a large fountain and a monument to Cervantes the great figure of Spanish literature known for writing Don Quixote. There you can also see bronze statue of Don Quixote de la Mancha on his horse and his trusty squire Sancho Panza on his mule. On this square you can found two Madrid largest buldings: the Edificio de Espana and Torre de Madrid.

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Facing the Cervantes Monument you will see looming behind a large stepped building. The Espana building was built between 1947 and 1953 by the Compania Inmobiliaria Metropolitana. Prior to new modern buildings now making their mark on the skyline, the Espana building was the tallest building in Madrid. There are 5 entrances into the building and 30 lifts which access a range of offices, shops, flats and a hotel. On the top floor is a café with fabulous views of the city including the Gran Via.

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A large obelisk sits in the centre of Plaza de Espana which was built in1928. Raised on a pedestal in the front is a statue of the Spain’s greatest writer, Miguel de Cervantes. He was born in 1537 in Alcala de Henares but it wasn’t until he was almost 60yrs old that he wrote the first of a two part masterpiece Don Quixote. He died in Madrid in 1616 on the same day as Shakespeare.

The Plaza de Espana is reached from the Gran Via in an area which was once known as the Prado de Leganitos. This particular area was chosen for the construction of the Cervantes Monument which is surrounded by lawns, trees and a pool, making it a very popular park for everyone.