Plaza Mayor is one of the historical attractions as well as a commercial center in Madrid which is situated near by the Puerta del Sol. It was constructed by Juan Gomez de Mora during the Habsburg regime in 1619.
The Plaza Mayor is one of the tourists attractions in Madrid having rectangular shape and occupies about 129 by 94 meters of territories. Visitors can enter in the Plaza Mayor from any of the nine entry gates, but most of the visitors use Arco de Chuchilleros gate which is in the southwestern part of the plaza. The Plaza Mayor is embraced by three-story residential buildings.
The history of Plaza Mayor originated from 1576 during the regime of Philip first who wanted to make a classical building at the place of Plaza del Arrabal. In 1560, a famous classical architect Juan de Herrera sketched the first map of Plaza Mayor to give a modern structure of old Plaza del Arrabal. But the new Plaza Mayor was reconstructed in 1790, after the destruction of old one by fire. At the center of the Plaza Mayor square, visitors can see a statue of the King Philip III who was the founder of this Plaza.
There is an interesting history about Plaza Mayor. It was called Plaza de Arrabal in the beginning which was changed in 1812 and called Plaza de la Constitucion to honor the 1812's Spanish Constitution. It was again changed to Plaza Real in 1814 and it kept changing till 1922. After the Spanish civil war, it was named as the Plaza Mayor, which is still famous throughout the world as an attractive tourist destination in Madrid.
The history says that Plaza Mayor was one of the most famous places for traditional Spanish festivals, public executions and bullfights but it has become popular for cultural activities. There are many Spanish restaurants and bars with varieties of Spanish foods and wines on the ground floor of the Plaza Mayor. Visitors can enjoy outdoor cafe during the months of summer and spring.
Thus, Plaza Mayor has left deep mark in the history of Madrid culture which has become one of the most visiting destinations. Most of the local as well as international visitors enjoy typical Spanish foods and drinks in different restaurants and bars in Plaza Mayor.