Plaza Mayor
Madrid
The Plaza Mayor is the great enclosed square of Habsburg Madrid. Juan Gómez de Mora completed it in 1619, and for centuries it hosted markets, festivals and ceremonies.
From market to the king's square
In the late 1400s the Plaza del Arrabal stood here, the busiest market in town. It lay outside the walls, where the roads leaving the city crossed.
In 1580 Philip II decided to make it the city's principal square. In 1617 Philip III asked Juan Gómez de Mora to finish it: the square was ready in 1619.
Three fires
The square burned in 1631, in 1672 and in 1790. The last fire was the worst and destroyed most of it.
The rebuilding was entrusted to Juan de Villanueva. He lowered the façades, closed the corners and opened the entrance arches. The most famous is the Arco de Cuchilleros, with its flight of steps.
The oldest house
The first building in the square was begun in 1590 by Diego Sillero. From its main floor the royal family watched festivals and ceremonies.
Today's façade was painted in 1992 by the artist Carlos Franco. It shows figures from mythology linked to the history of Madrid.
The king in the middle
The statue of Philip III on horseback dates from 1616. It was placed in the middle of the square in 1848, at the wish of Isabella II.
