Why go

Plaza Mayor is the great stage of old Madrid. Enclosed on all four sides by three-storey buildings with more than 200 balconies, it has hosted markets, royal celebrations, bullfights, beatifications and even trials of the Inquisition. Today it is a car-free square of café terraces, street performers and visitors gazing up at the painted facade of the Casa de la Panadería, with the equestrian statue of Philip III in the centre.

It is also the natural starting point for exploring the Madrid de los Austrias, the oldest part of the city, named after the Habsburg kings who made Madrid their capital in 1561.

History

The square began as the Plaza del Arrabal, a market just outside the medieval walls. Philip II ordered it remodelled in 1580, the Casa de la Panadería went up in 1590, and in 1617 the architect Juan Gómez de Mora gave the square the enclosed shape it has today. It burned three times; after the worst fire, in 1790, which destroyed a third of the square, Juan de Villanueva rebuilt it and closed the corners with the arches you walk through now.

What to see

  • Casa de la Panadería. The former bakers’ guild house on the north side, covered in colourful murals of mythological figures painted by Carlos Franco in 1992.
  • Statue of Philip III. The bronze equestrian statue in the middle of the square.
  • Arco de Cuchilleros. The steep stone arch in the south-west corner, named after the knife makers who once worked here, leading down to old taverns.
  • Casa de la Carnicería. The former butchers’ guild house opposite the Panadería.
  • The arcades. Old-fashioned shops selling hats, coins, stamps and souvenirs under the porticoes.

Plan your visit

The square is a public space and always open. The Plaza Mayor Tourist Information Centre, in the Casa de la Panadería, opens every day of the year from 10am to 8pm, closing at 5pm on 24 and 31 December and opening at 11am on 25 December and 1 January. It is a good first stop for maps and advice.

Come early in the morning to photograph the square almost empty, or in the evening when the lamps come on and the terraces fill. A drink on the square is part of the experience, but expect to pay more than in the side streets. For dinner, walk five minutes south to Cava Baja and La Latina, the city’s classic tapas streets.

Half an hour is enough to walk around the square, but most people pass through several times, because it sits between Sol, the Royal Palace and La Latina.

At Christmas

From late November to 31 December, the square hosts Madrid’s oldest Christmas market, with about 104 stalls. It is the place Madrileños buy figures for their Nativity scenes, along with decorations, wigs and joke items for the Day of the Holy Innocents on 28 December. In 2025 the market opened on 27 November; the 2026 date had not been announced when we checked.

Nearby

The Mercado de San Miguel is just outside the west corner, Puerta del Sol is five minutes east along Calle Mayor, and the Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral are about ten minutes west.