Plaza Mayor (Salamanca)
The Plaza Mayor is the main square in the center of the Spanish city of Salamanca .
history
The square is located near the old Puerta del Sol, an access gate to the old city walls. Because the church of San Martín was located there, the square was formerly called Plaza de San Martín .
At that time, the square was much larger and extended to places that are now independent squares in Salamanca, such as B. today's market square, the Plaza del Corrillo and the Plaza del Poeta Iglesias . The Plaza de San Martín in Salamanca was therefore earlier referred to as "the largest square in Christianity". Festivals, markets, proclamations etc. took place there. Bullfights were also held on the square in the past.
In 1724 the square was divided up and reduced to its present size by starting to enclose the outer boundary with buildings. The architect was Alberto de Churriguera . The town hall and the city administration were also relocated there ("las Casas Consistoriales"), which gave the square the rank of "Plaza Mayor". When Churriguera died, the architect Andrés García de Quiñones completed his work in 1755.
The square (called “pabellón real”, German “royal pavilion”) has medallions on the east side between its arches , which are decorated with images of the busts of Spanish kings. This site was built first because it served as a retaining wall.
The current appearance with floor slabs made of gray granite with individual markings in pink granite was completed in 1955. Until then, the square had a small garden with trees, flower beds and a bandstand. The garden was surrounded by a cobblestone street .
Others
The Casas Consistoriales were never completed. A tower that the architect Andrés García de Quiñones did not dare to build is missing above the two side wings. We know this because the model for the building from 1745 is still kept today.
The Plaza Mayor is the main location in the feature film 8 Blickwinkel from 2008. In fact, the space was not used for the filming of the film, but was recreated in Mexico . The real place was only filmed for the aerial photos used in the film. The film premiered on February 13, 2008 in Salamanca.
Web links
Coordinates: 40 ° 57 ′ 54 " N , 5 ° 39 ′ 50.8" W.