PLAZA MAYOR
30 minutesSalamanca's Plaza Mayor is one of the great ensembles of Spanish Baroque and the city's main monumental space. Its construction took place between 1729 and 1755 with the aim of creating a large public square of civic and representative character.
The project was initiated by Alberto de Churriguera, who conceived a practically square-plan porticoed square. After his departure, the works were culminated by Andrés García de Quiñones, responsible for the completion of the complex and of elements as important as the City Hall building. Villamayor stone, with its golden hue, is the main material and gives it its characteristic changing color depending on the light.
On the north side is the City Hall, whose Baroque facade, topped with a bell-gable and sculptures, constitutes one of the most emblematic elements of the complex. On the east side is the Royal Pavilion, where the coat of arms of Philip V and a slate inscription recalling the beginnings of the construction stand out.
The ornamentation is completed with a series of medallions in the spandrels of the arches, representing relevant figures in Spanish history, such as monarchs, military figures, and important personalities of Spanish culture.
Overall, the Plaza Mayor is not only a Baroque masterpiece but also a living space that has maintained its role as the social, cultural, and symbolic center of Salamanca throughout the centuries.
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The Plaza Mayor of Salamanca did not always occupy its current location. Before its construction, there were two preceding squares: the Azogue Viejo, which disappeared when the New Cathedral was built over it, and the Azogue Nuevo, located next to the Puerta del Sol of the old medieval wall, which ceased to exist when the city expanded northwards.
The space where the square is located today was occupied from the Middle Ages by the San Martín Market, considered by ancient sources as one of the largest in Christendom. The current square occupies approximately a quarter of that market, while other areas remained outside, giving rise to spaces such as Plaza del Corrillo, Plaza del Poeta Iglesias, or Plaza del Mercado, where the current market, a prominent example of iron architecture, would later be built.
The initiative to build a new main square came from the corregidor Rodrigo Caballero y Llanes, who convinced the City Council of the need to create a more orderly, harmonious space in line with the urbanistic trends of the time.
Works began in 1729, during the reign of Philip V, with the construction of the Pabellón Real (Royal Pavilion). This first section was built on municipal land, which facilitated the start of the works by avoiding expropriations. Its main function was to level the terrain, which had a significant slope, so it also acts as a retaining wall; hence the facade facing the market is taller. Completed in 1733, the Royal Pavilion stands out for the Arco de San Fernando (Arch of San Fernando), its arcades —occupied by the so-called covachuelas— and the medallions sculpted in two phases, representing kings of Spain.
Before the completion of this first pavilion, in 1732 the construction of the Pabellón de San Martín (San Martín Pavilion) began, built on plots belonging to both the City Council and the parish. The work progressed quickly and was practically finished in 1735. This pavilion presents a slight asymmetry, a consequence of the need to respect the layout of the old medieval streets, and is characterized by its medallions dedicated to military figures and conquerors, which has earned it the nickname of “Cuartel General” (General Headquarters).
After these initial advances, the project was interrupted for about fifteen years due to conflicts with the owners of the remaining land. Among them, the opposition of the Count of Grajal stood out, whose resistance managed to halt the works. In this context, the principal architect, Alberto de Churriguera, left the city, being subsequently replaced by other architects.
The situation was unblocked in 1741 and works resumed under the direction of Andrés García de Quiñones, who developed a new design for the City Council. From 1750 onwards, work progressed with greater continuity, addressing the construction of the ala de Pretineros (Pretineros wing) and the Pabellón Consistorial (Consistorial Pavilion). Finally, in 1755, the last house closing the square was completed, thus concluding the complex after about ten effective years of construction, if periods of interruption are discounted. Later, in 1852, the City Council's bell gable was added, enriched with decorative and symbolic elements that completed its current appearance.
The Plaza Mayor had different uses over time. Until the 1830s, it functioned as a bullring; later it was landscaped, and in 1954, the gardens were removed to pave it with granite slabs. As a reminder of its bullfighting past, every July 25th, a mast with a figure of a bull and the Spanish flag, known as la Mariseca, is installed on the City Council's bell gable. This symbol announces the proximity of the fairs and festivities of the Virgen de la Vega, patron saint of Salamanca, during which traditional bullfights are held.
Salamanca's Plaza Mayor features an irregular plan, such that none of its sides have the same length. Its surface area is approximately 6,400 m², excluding the arcades, and the buildings that comprise it are developed over three floors, except for the Town Hall building, which has two. Although the complex maintains remarkable harmony, some elements like the Town Hall or the Royal Pavilion stand out in height, introducing slight variations in its symmetry. It has nine exits to streets and squares, as well as two passageways on the west side, which at one time functioned as access points for carriages.
On the north side is the Salamanca Town Hall, crowned by a belfry with three bells and four allegorical figures representing Industry, Agriculture, Music, and Poetry. On the eastern side stands out the Royal Pavilion, where an inscription on a slate plaque commemorates the beginning of its construction. On its upper part are the arms of Philip V, along with the image of Ferdinand III the Saint.
One of the most characteristic elements of the Plaza Mayor is its iconographic program of medallions, conceived to decorate the spandrels of its 88 arches with busts of relevant figures in Spanish history. The idea, promoted by Rodrigo Caballero y Llanes, was to distribute them by themes in the different pavilions: monarchy in the Royal Pavilion, military figures and conquistadors in San Martín, scholars in Petrineros, and saints in the Consistorial Pavilion. However, the project was modified over time. The first medallions were created between 1730 and 1733 by Alejandro Carnicero, but the subsequent halt of works between 1735 and 1750 meant that only approximately half of the original program was executed.
From the second half of the 20th century, especially starting in 1967, the Town Hall promoted the continuation of the project, commissioning new medallions from artists linked to Salamanca. Thanks to this, today a walk around the square offers a kind of visual synthesis of Spanish history.
On the eastern side, the first medallion featured the figure of Franco until the year 20017. The rest of the figures are kings represented in chronological order, from Alfonso XI to Charles III. King Philip V is effigied three times: once in the central arch of the Royal Pavilion, for being the king who authorized the construction of the square, and the other two for each of his reigns. Of the five women depicted in the medallions, three of them are in this wing: Isabella the Catholic, Joanna I of Castile, and Elisabeth Farnese.
The south side, known as the “General Headquarters,” gathers medallions dedicated to military figures and conquistadors, including Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, and the Great Duke of Alba, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo.
On the west wing are important figures of Spanish culture, such as Antonio de Nebrija, Fray Luis de León, Miguel de Cervantes, Teresa de Jesús, Francisco de Vitoria, and Miguel de Unamuno. The first medallion was dedicated to Manuel Godoy but was removed after he fell from grace at the beginning of the Peninsular War. Figures linked to this conflict also appear, such as General Arthur Wellesley and the Salamancan guerrilla fighter Julián Sánchez El Charro. In the center of this pavilion, the medallion of Alfonso IX of León, added in 2023, stands out.
Finally, the north side gathers medallions from the 20th and 21st centuries. Among them are those of Rodrigo Caballero and Alberto de Churriguera, located in the spandrels of the central arch of the Town Hall. Many of the medallions on this flank were added in 2005: kings and representations of the First and Second Republics.
In 2002, coinciding with Salamanca's designation as European Capital of Culture, the square hosted works by Auguste Rodin. In 2018, during the celebration of the VIII Centenary of the University of Salamanca, pieces by Miquel Barceló were exhibited. More recently, in 2023, the Salamancan artist Florencio Maíllo presented an emotional series of 114 portraits dedicated to Federico García Lorca and figures from his circle. The Chinese sculptor Xu Hongfei has also filled the square on several occasions with his works, some specially created for this emblematic space.
But the Plaza Mayor is much more than art: it is life. Throughout the year, it hosts numerous events that fill it with atmosphere and activity. In autumn, the Antique Book Fair invites visitors to discover bibliographic treasures; in spring, Book Day and the Book Fair fill the square with readers and culture; and in September, during the festivals of the Virgen de la Vega, it becomes the festive heart of the city with concerts and activities for all audiences.
It is also a regular setting for popular races and striking gatherings of classic cars. All this makes the Plaza Mayor a vibrant, changing, and always essential place for anyone visiting Salamanca.