Province Community of Madrid | ||
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Address Plaza de España, 28008 Madrid, Spain Similar Royal Palace of Madrid, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor - Madrid, Temple of Debod, Puerta de Alcalá | ||
Plaza de España (Spanish for Spain Square) is a large square, a popular tourist destination located in central Madrid, Spain at the western end of the Gran Vía. It features a monument to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and is adjacent to two of Madrid's most prominent skyscrapers. Additionally, the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) is only a short walk south from the plaza.
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Cervantes Monument
The center of the plaza features a monument to Spanish novelist, poet and playwright Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra designed by architects Rafael Martínez Zapatero and Pedro Muguruza, and by the sculptor Lorenzo Coullaut Valera. Most of the monument was built between 1925 and 1930. It was finished between 1956 and 1957 by Federico Coullaut-Valera Mendigutia, the son of the original sculptor.
The tower portion of the monument includes a stone sculpture of Cervantes overlooking bronze sculptures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Next to the tower, there are two stone representations of Don Quixote's "true love", one as the simple peasant woman Aldonza Lorenzo, and one as the beautiful, imaginary Dulcinea del Toboso.
Surrounding buildings
Adjacent to the plaza are two of the tallest buildings in Madrid, the 142 m (466 ft) Torre de Madrid ("Madrid Tower"), built in 1957 and the 117 m (384 ft) tall Edificio España ("Spain Building"), built in 1953.
There, you will also find the House of Gallardo, built in 1911, considered one of the notable examples of the Art Nouveau style of architecture in the city.
Metro station
Plaza de España is also the name of a Metro station located on the eastern corner of the plaza, serviced by the #3 and #10 lines, with a connection to the #2 line.
History
In 1808, the area was part of the Príncipe Pío hill. It was one of the locations used by French firing squads to execute prisoners taken during the May 2nd uprising.