Plaza de España (Madrid)
The Plaza de España is a place in Madrid .
Development and character
The square, one of the most famous squares in Madrid between the old town and modern Madrid, lies between two skyscrapers , the Edificio España (completed in 1953) and the Torre de Madrid (1957), both projects by the brothers Julián and Joaquín Otamendi . Plaza de España separates Calle Princesa from Gran Vía , Madrid's traditional shopping street.
The Plaza de España, designed by Mateo Inurria and Teodoro Anasagasti , consists of a spacious green area, a water basin and a large monument dedicated to the Spanish national poet Miguel de Cervantes . The monument, erected in 1928/1930, was designed by the architects Rafael Martínez Zapatero and Pedro Muguruza , the sculptures by Lorenzo Coullaut Valera . The poet Cervantes looks down from his seat at the characters in his novel: Don Quixote on horseback and Sancho Panza on the donkey.
history
In the 18th and 19th centuries the area was used by the Spanish military as a barracks base. Later, after the barracks were demolished, the military left the area for civilian use because Madrid continued to expand. The square became popular in the 1950s after the "Edificio España" and the "Torre de Madrid" were built.
Don Quixote & Sancho Panza
Cervantes Monument in Plaza de España
Torre de Madrid (left), Cervantes Monument (middle), Edificio España (right)
Don Quixote and Sancho Panza
Web links
Coordinates: 40 ° 25 ′ 22 " N , 3 ° 42 ′ 43" W.