Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor was completed in 1619 under Philip III, whose equestrian statue stands at the centre, and it was designed as a closed rectangle of nine entrances with uniform arcaded buildings on all four sides, a Habsburg plan repeated in towns across Spain and Latin America. It has served as market, bullring, theatre, execution ground and the setting for autos-da-fe. Three fires, the last in 1790, led to rebuilding by Juan de Villanueva, who lowered the buildings and closed the corners. The Casa de la Panaderia on the northern side carries painted frescoes added in 1992. A Christmas market has been held here since the seventeenth century, and the arcades hold cafes, a stamp and coin market on Sundays and several old shops.

What you actually see

• The closed arcades - a uniform rectangle with nine entrance arches.
• The Casa de la Panaderia - painted frescoes on the northern facade.
• The Philip III statue - an equestrian bronze at the centre.
• The Sunday market - stamps and coins traded under the arcades.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the terraces without extremes of temperature; December for the Christmas market, which fills the square. Early morning is the only quiet time in season.

Honest expectations

The terrace cafes charge among the highest prices in Madrid for ordinary food, and locals avoid them. Costumed characters solicit payment for photographs. The square is a thoroughfare rather than a destination and takes twenty minutes.

Nearby

Mercado de San Miguel is at one corner; Puerta del Sol and the Royal Palace are minutes away.