9 . P L A Z A
M A Y O R
PLAZA MAYOR
This portico lined square is situated
at the heart of Hapsburg Madrid , the
old part of the city and one of the
capital ’ s most charming districts .
Before Madrid became a capital city ,
with its wide avenues and boulevards ,
its footprint consisted of narrow
streets , alleys and passageways ,
which today take us back to the times
of swashbuckling swordsmen and
medieval rogues .
The foundations of Plaza Mayor were
laid , when Philip II ' s court moved to
Madrid , on the site of the former
Plaza del Arrabal , where the town ' s
most popular market was located
towards the end of the 15th century .
In 1617 , architect Juan Gómez de
Mora was commissioned to create a
greater uniformity amongst the
buildings in this location , which for
centuries had hosted popular
entertainments , bullfights ,
beatifications , coronations and the
occasional auto de fe .