Plaza+Mayor,+Madrid

This page has been created by: Sandra gonzález and Elena González.

toc media type="custom" key="6265285" =Video about the Plaza Mayor= Created by Noelia Pozanco

media type="custom" key="5768993" =Video about the Plaza Mayor= Created by Jorge Marín media type="custom" key="5801645"

Location
La Plaza Mayor is situated in the center of Madrid, it is very near of the square Puerta del Sol and it is also near to the square of the Villa together the street Mayor. It is also known as the main square.

It's Name[[image:http://www.estecha.com/imagen/placa-piedra-calle.jpg width="224" height="156" align="right" caption="This is the name of the square"]]
The name of the place has changed over time due to wars, coups and the passage of the varius rulers of Spain. Some f them are: Plaza del Arrabal, Plaza de la Constitución, Plaza Real, and Plaza de la Republica. Its' name has changed a lot, for example, during the Republic it was called " The Republic Square", and then after the Spanish Civil war it was called "Plaza Mayor".

History
This building iis very old, it was constructed in the XV century, at this time it was known as"Plaza de Arrabal", and it was used as a marked. In the XVI century after the capital of Spain was moved to Madrid, Philip III told Juand de Herrera to rebuilt it. The construction of the firs building was conducted by Diego Sillero in the 16th century. On the 17th century, Philip III instructed Juan Gómez de Mora to complete the construction.

Functions
"La Plaza Mayor was converted from its creation, not only i the main market in the town, but also in the scenry of many public acts, as bullfighting, " autos de fe" ( they were public manifestations of the inquisition), also it was a square of arms and scene of public executions. And also the peopleuse it for the trade and they solt and bought a lot of animelts. Nowdays the squere is used to

1.Coat of Arms of [|Charles II.]
It is situated on the upper part of "[|La Casa de la Panaderia]". It is wrough in a stone with a coat of arms the arms of Charles II.  The shield is composed of the arms of Castile and Leon, in the first quadrant, the arms of Aragon and Sicily, in the second, the arms of Austria and Burgundy modern, third, those in Burgundy ancient and Brabant In the fourth, those of Flanders and the Tyrol in the escutcheon below and the symbol of Granada in the center of the shield.

2." Arco de Cuchilleros"
 Cuchilleros Arch is the most famous of the nine gates of the Plaza Mayor of Madrid and is situated on the southwest corner of the square. The considerable height of this arc is due to the large gap between the Plaza Mayor and the Cava de San Miguel. The origin of its name is on the street Cuchilleros to which outputs, and where the workshops were located in ancient guild of knife, for supplying their goods to the butchers' guild settled within the plaza.

3. Facades of the square
It is a rectangular arcaded square, 129 meters long and 94 meters wide, which is completely enclosed by residential buildings of three storeys, with 237 total balconies overlooking the plaza. It has nine gates, of which the best known is the Arc of Cutlers in the southwest corner of the square. In the center of the north side of the square is the House Bakery and in front of you, on the south side, the House of the Butchers. In the arcade, sustained by pillars of granite, many shops stay hotels, as an important tourist spot of Madrid, and collectibles shops, philately and numismatics.

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