The Plaza Mayor is located in the center of Madrid city and is a square shaped arcade. Its uniform architecture of rectangular, square features remind visitors of Place des Vosges in Paris. This Plaza was a market earlier, which was located outside the city. The then King Philip II wanted to convert it into a proper plaza, so he requested the famous Renaissance architect named Juan de Herrera to design the plaza.

The actual plan was made as per the King’s request. But the construction could not be started till the year 1617. At that time Philip III was ruling the kingdom and he initiated the construction by asking an architect named Juan Gomez de Mora to continue with the construction. In the year 1619, he could finish the porticos. An architect named Juan de Villanueva reconstructed the current plaza, after the old plaza was gutted by a series of fire. The reconstruction was done in the year 1790. The Statue of the king Philip III on a horseback was made by Juan de Bolonia in the year 1616. Unfortunately, it was not installed until 1848.

The first building, which was constructed in the plaza, was called as “La Real Casa de Panderia”, which means the Royal bakery. Now it has become the home for the municipal city council and is situated in the northern side of the plaza.

During the years 1820-1823, 1833-1835 and 1840-1843, the plaza had again been called as “Plaza de la Constitucion”. It was then renamed as “Plaza de la Republica” in the year 1873, and again went back to its previous name in 1876. It was then being called by this name only till the end of the civil war. After this war the name was changed to “Plaza Mayor”. Initially the Plaza Mayor was used for executions during the Spanish Inquisition. It has been a home for markets, soccer games and bullfights. Now many old and traditional shops can be seen in the plaza.

The Plaza Mayor has become a famous tourist spot and is used for holding the celebrations of San Isidro, who is the patron saint of Madrid.

Plaza Mayor Map

Facts about Plaza Mayor

• During 1560s, the Plaza Mayor was known as Plaza del Arrabal.
• In the year 1812, a rule was made to change the names of all the plazas to “Plaza de la Constitucion”.
• The Plaza Mayor came to be known as “Plaza Real” in 1814.

Where is Plaza Mayor ?

The Plaza Mayor is situated in an area called “Madrid de los Austrias”, which is also called the old Madrid. It is located next to “Puerta del Sol”. It takes 26 minutes to reach the Plaza Mayor from the Madrid-Barajas Airport.

Address: Plaza Mayor, 28012 Madrid, Spain

Best time to visit Plaza Mayor

The best time to visit Plaza Mayor in Madrid is during spring and summer.

Plaza Mayor Hours

Plaza Mayor opens round the clock.

More about Plaza Mayor

Nearby Attractions: Prado Museum, Sorolla Museum, Retiro Park (Parque del Retiro), Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Metropolis, Bernabeu Stadium (Estadio Santiago Bernabeu), Palacio de Comunicaciones, Cerralbo Museum, and Museo Lazaro Galdiano.

 

The Cason del Buen Retiro situated in the vicinity of the El Prado Museum was once a part of the Buen Retiro Palace, which was used by the then king Philip IV. It was used more like a ballroom and lectures were delivered here. This building now belongs to the El Prado Museum.

The paintings by a painter named Lucas Jordan can be seen on the ceiling. One of the notable paintings is named The Allegory of the Golden Fleece. These paintings are a tribute to the Spanish monarchy. The Cason del Buen Retiro has been turned into an art gallery exhibiting the famous works of the 19th and 20th century artists like Madrazo, Fortuny, Rosales, and Picasso.

Earlier, this part of the museum was the home of Picasso’s famous painting “Guernica”. Picasso wanted the painting to be displayed here because it was the city’s famous museum. But in 1992, the painting was shifted to another new museum, which is called Reina Sofia.

El Prado Museum, to which the Cason del Buen Retiro belongs, is the largest art gallery. It is a home for many sculptures, drawings, coins, and some other art works. It contains a huge collection of paintings, which made this museum popular worldwide. This museum stores more than 8,600 paintings out of which less than 2,000 paintings can be displayed. This is because of the lack of space.

The idea of constructing a museum was contrived during the reign of the King Charles III. But it could be acted upon only during the rule of Fernando VII, which was in the 19th century. From that time to this date the works have been transferred many times to other places, and finally after the second civil war they have been returned to Madrid.

Cason del Buen Retiro map

Facts about Cason del Buen Retiro

 

• Cason del Buen Retiro was constructed in the 17th century.
• The facade of the building is not the original one. In 1886, the original facade suffered damages due to a cyclone and thus had to be restored. Architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco performed the restoration.

Where is Cason del Buen Retiro ?

Cason del Buen Retiro is located at a distance of approx. 20 km from the Madrid-Barajas Airport, in Spain. You can also reach Cason del Buen Retiro via metro Retiro.

Address : Calle de Alfonso XII, 28, 28014 Madrid, Spain

Best time to visit Cason del Buen Retiro

Spring and autumn are the best months to visit Cason del Buen Retiro in Spain.

Cason del Buen Retiro Hours

The Cason del Buen Retiro opens on weekdays from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and on Sundays from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. It is closed on Mondays. The museum offers guided tours from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm on Sundays.

Cason del Buen Retiro Tickets

The ticket to view the permanent or temporary collections at the Prado Museum costs € 3.50. The ticket includes a visit to the Cason del Buen Retiro.

More about Cason del Buen Retiro

Nearby Attractions: The Prado Museum, Real Jardín Botánico, Museo Naval, San Jerónimo el Real, Museo Nacional De Artes Decorativas, and Jardines del Museo del Prado.