Plaza de la Villa
مدريد
The Plaza de la Villa is a little square in medieval Madrid. It brings together three buildings from three different centuries, including the historic seat of the city government.
The heart of medieval Madrid
In the Middle Ages this square stood halfway between the Puerta de Guadalajara and the Puerta de la Vega. They were two of the most important ways into the city.
It was called Plaza de San Salvador, after the church that stood next to it on Calle Mayor. The city council met under its porch, before it had a building of its own.
Three buildings, three centuries
The house and tower of the Luján family date from the 1400s, in Gothic-Mudéjar style. They are among the few noble houses of that century left in Madrid.
The Cisneros house dates from 1537. It is one of the few Renaissance palaces preserved in the city.
The Casa de la Villa
In 1629 Philip IV gave permission to build the council's seat here. The design was by Juan Gómez de Mora, but work only began in 1644.
Teodoro Ardemans finished the building in 1696, designing the Baroque façades and the grand staircase. It has a granite base, brick walls and a square courtyard. Until 2007 it was the seat of Madrid City Council.
