The Plaza Mayor is main square of Madrid and contains a lot of history. It was founded by King Felipe II. And we could say that it is the heart of Madrid, located in the old part of the city, connected by metro and taxi access, it is the ideal starting point to get to know this city. It is currently a pedestrian area, a few steps from one of our houses Puerta de Sol and Gran Via, covered with bars and cafes whose terraces offer a nice and varied tapas menu and coffee for the enjoyment of Madrid’s cuisine.

Long before Madrid was the nerve center of all activities, there were only narrow streets. But this city needed a main market and to have commercial activities that facilitated the life of the citizen.

It began as a lagoon, which was covered to be able to build on it the site of the old Plaza del Arrabal, where the most popular market of the town was at the end of the 15th century, Felipe II when he transferred his court to Madrid, he asked the architect Juan Gómez de Mora give the buildings an aesthetic change, originally designed for personal enjoyment but that would also benefit the city. This new commercial zone would house for centuries popular celebrations and celebrations, coronations, bullfights, among other diverse activities.

Despite several fires over the years, the Plaza Mayor keeps intact the charm and corners that house history, and that to this day remain an attraction for visitors.

The House of the Bakery was built around 1590, but of this building only the basement and the ground floor are conserved, from it they copy the style of the rest of the buildings in the square.

It is currently the headquarters of the Tourism Center of Madrid.

During the reconstruction the facades were reduced, their corners were closed and nine access arches were erected. The most known door of all is that of Cuchilleros, whose stairway is due to its steep slope. Its name comes from the knife workshops that provided the butchers of the Plaza Mayor, where the Casa de la Carnicería is located, which in its time was the general meat deposit.

The statue of Felipe III stands out, considered one of the most valuable works of art located in the streets of Madrid. For centuries it crowned access to the Casa de Campo, until Queen Isabel II lent it in 1848 to the city, and was located in the Plaza Mayor.