The Plaza Mayor of Madrid

As in the case of Valladolid, in the Middle Ages, in Madrid the place where the Plaza Mayor now stands was located outside the first section of city walls. From the thirteenth century, when Madrid only had a few thousand inhabitants, there were reports of a space generated by the drying process of a pre-existing lagoon. The Plaza del Arrabal, as it was called at that time, was small and irregularly shaped, and was the seat of the city market. Already in the sixteenth century, territorial expansion and population growth of the city as a consequence of the arrival of the court, forced the municipal authorities to rethink and reshape the square. This project, however, was implemented only in the final phase of the reign of Philip III. Juan Gómez de Mora was the architect in charge of giving to Madrid the monumental image of a faithful mirror of the power of the sovereign, which it sought. He worked then on the construction of some of the most representative works of the Spanish capital in the Baroque period. Between 1617 and 1619 thus the Plaza Mayor was built, clearly inspired by that of Valladolid. The version promoted and carried out by the great architect included a rectangular plan with nine entries, three sub arches and other six for uncovered streets, four pinnacles and 477 balconies. The square in the Baroque period was designed to accommodate ceremonies or events of a public nature, on account of which that of Madrid was further enriched with the houses of the Panadería on the north side, and the Carnicería on the south side. The first, in particular, had actual rooms on the upper floor and porches with arches at ground height. Both houses are decorated with small towers with slate roofs, a legacy of the Flemish model and a characteristic element of civil architecture in the Monarchy of the Austrias. The original construction of the square, in brick and wood, was repeatedly damaged by fire. In 1672, Tomás RománA Spanish architect active in the seventeenth century, Tomás Román is best known for having restored the Casa de la Panadería in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid after the fire of 1672. repaired the house of the Panadería, by providing it with the most current decorative style. In 1790, Juan de VillanuevaJuan de Villanueva (1739-1811) is considered the greatest exponent of neoclassical architecture in Spain. He worked a long time for the royal house of Bourbon, especially in the royal palace of El Escorial. He undertook the restoration and partial reconstruction of the Plaza Mayor in Madrid after the fire of 1790. Very active in his hometown of Madrid, he also made the Oratorio del Caballero de Gracia (The Oratory of the Gentleman of Grace) and the Astronomical Observatory, both located in the gardens of the Retiro. gave the Plaza Mayor the appearance it has today, while respecting the original design of Gómez de Mora: a closed square, covering the streets which were uncovered, that gave access, and reduced the height of the buildings.

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