Ten Plazas Mayores that will leave you open-mouthed due to their spectacular nature

They were formerly the nerve center of the cities, the meeting point where the most important events took place, from executions, coronations and bullfights to fairs and markets.

Today, many

continue to be the center of public and commercial life and, due to their good state of conservation and heritage value, they are also the tourist attraction of numerous cities, towns and villages.

Arcaded, medieval, Renaissance, baroque, World Heritage... we propose a tour of some of the most beautiful Plazas Mayores in Spain.

Salamanca

In churrigueresque style (a variant of the baroque), Salamanca's Plaza Mayor is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe and the largest in Spain.

Built in 1755 in the shape of an irregular quadrilateral, it is presided over by the Town Hall and flanked by pavilions or canvases, as each of the sides is known.

It is porticoed, with 88 semicircular arches, 477 balconies and each one of the pavilions (the Real ye de San Martín) is decorated with

, characters from the history of Spain and relevant figures from Salamanca history.

Madrid

In the

is located this arcaded square built in 1619, and remodeled in 1790 due to a devastating fire.

Since then, the square has been closed at its corners, its façade was reduced by two levels and nine access arches were erected.

The most popular is the Cuchilleros.

An equestrian sculpture of Felipe II presides over the enclosure, whose main building is La Casa de la Panadería (from 1590), today the headquarters of the Madrid Tourism Center.

It is one of the liveliest corners of the capital, thanks to the number of bars, terraces and shops, which also make it a great tourist attraction.

Trujillo (Caceres)

The Plaza Mayor is

of the monumental city of Cáceres.

The huge enclosure, rectangular in shape and Renaissance style, is partly surrounded by palaces and stately homes with arcades full of shops and catering establishments with attractive terraces, which makes it a bustling meeting point for locals and tourists.

The large square has in the center the equestrian statue of the great conqueror Francisco Pizarro, discoverer of Peru, and is presided over by

, begun in the 14th century on a medieval building and completed in the 16th century.

Chinchon (Madrid)

The Plaza Mayor of Chinchón is considered one of the most beautiful in Spain and is in perfect condition.

Even today it is the center of public life and

, either by becoming a bullring or a large medieval market.

Of medieval origin (15th and 16th centuries), it is quite irregular in shape, has several entrances and is surrounded by old buildings with 234 green-painted balconies, on the ground floor of which there are numerous bars with terraces, restaurants and shops.

Cordova

Also called

it is the only quadrangular main square in Andalusia.

Located in the center of the city, it is accessed through the so-called Arco Alto and Arco Bajo.

It was built in the 17th century and among the buildings that make it up, the Mercado de Sánchez Peña (which was the town hall, jail and hat factory) or the Casas de Doña Ana Jacinto stand out.

The square was the venue for bullfights, hence its name.

Almagro (Real City)

It is one of the most emblematic Castilian-type squares in Spain, whose origin dates back to the 13th century.

With a rectangular and irregular floor plan, it is made up of

Tuscan stone columns under two continuous galleries, and currently closed by glazing, and green.

These galleries served as stands for public, festive and religious events, such as the famous bullfights that took place until 1785. It is the nerve center of the town, declared a Historic Artistic Site, and closing the enclosure is the only

del world that has remained intact and active from the beginning of the 17th century to the present day and the

, in addition to

a small garden dedicated to the conqueror Diego de Almagro.

Lion

In the heart of the

, in the Old Town of the city, the current Plaza Mayor de León was one of the most important markets that were installed outside the wall in medieval times, as well as a place of public executions and a bullfighting ring. .

After a fire in 1654, this typical Castilian square was rebuilt, one of the best preserved in Spain, surrounded by two-storey buildings, with a continuous balcony on the first and individual ones on the second, and arched arcades where bars and restaurants are located. .

In the square, where the traditional weekly market is still held, there are two unique buildings: the Old Consistory, a typical baroque-style towered mansion with spiers at the ends built in 1677, and the NH Plaza Mayor Hotel, in a 19th century renovated building.

Pedraza (Segovia)

The Plaza Mayor of the medieval town of Pedraza is one of the most emblematic in Spain.

dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, with imposing facades and elegant coats of arms, it has an irregular shape and was created in the 16th century so that the noble families of the town could enjoy the bullfights from their balconies. , an event that is still taking place in this enclave today during the Patron Saint Festivities in honor of the Virgen de Carrascal in September.

Presiding over the Plaza is the Church of San Juan Bautista, a Romanesque-style temple with double arches in its tower.

Vic (Barcelona)

Plaza Mayor of Vic (Barcelona).

This monumental arcaded square is located in the highest part of the old town of Barcelona, ​​surrounded by colorful noble buildings from different eras, including the Town Hall or the Palau Comella, in which life events still take place today. social and cultural aspects of the city, such as the medieval market, a gastronomic fair and the Mercat de Música Viva de Vic. Among the buildings on the site, the

, from the end of the 14th century, and the

, in the modernist style of the 19th century , stand out.

.

Segovia

Presided over by the

, the Plaza Mayor of Segovia is today the main meeting point of the city for residents and tourists.

Its origin dates back to the mid-15th century, although it had to be remodeled after the collapse of the church of San Miguel, in 1523, which was where the bandstand currently is.

In 1623 the square was reorganized so that it was dominated by the

(1610), with a granite façade, towers with slate spiers and a clock with bells, and emblematic houses began to be built around it, among which the Juan Bravo Theater from 1917 stands out. It was at the end of the 19th century when the square came to life filling up with inns, hotels, cafes and shops, which persist today.

The bandstand was also incorporated in 1896, designed by Joaquín de Odriozola.

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