PLAZA DE ORIENTE

Description

Essentials about Plaza de Oriente in brief

Plaza de Oriente (East Square) is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and representative squares of Madrid. This is due, on the one hand, to the very prominent location of the square between truly royal buildings: the Royal Palace of Madrid on the west side and the Teatro Real (Royal Theater) on the east side. And secondly, the square has a beautiful 1.6 hectare garden with a sculpture collection of twenty Spanish monarchs. A visit to Madrid is simply not complete without seeing Plaza de Oriente.

The history of Plaza de Oriente

Plaza de Oriente was planned by King José Bonaparte (Napoleon’s brother), who wanted to open up the winding medieval city center of Madrid and create a spacious boulevard from the Royal Palace in the west to the Paseo del Prado in the east, following the example of Paris. Nothing came of the idea of the planned boulevard. Nevertheless, by demolishing the medieval buildings on the site in front of the Royal Palace, José Bonaparte unwillingly laid the foundation for beautiful Plaza de Oriente. Between 1841 and 1844, the rectangular square was built according to the plans of architect Narciso Pascual y Colomer.

The layout of Plaza de Oriente

The centerpiece of the square is the imposing equestrian statue of King Philip IV, also erected in 1844. The huge, 12-meter-high statue was created as early as 1640 by the Italian artist Pedro Tacca. It is, by the way, the first statue in the world to depict a rider on a rising (i.e. standing on his hind legs) horse. This artistic masterpiece was made possible because none other than the famous Galileo Galilei himself made the static calculations.

The garden in Plaza de Oriente is particularly impressive not only because of its strict geometrical layout, but also because of the twenty statues of Spanish monarchs incorporated in it. The gardens of the square are divided into three different areas: The central parterre, the Cabo Noval Gardens on the north side and the Lepanto Gardens on the south side. The Cabo Noval and Lepanto Gardens are perfect for enjoying a quiet moment in harmony with the surrounding trees.

By the way, Plaza de Oriente is just as popular for its adjacent cafes and restaurants. Definitely worth a visit is the Café de Oriente, considered one of the most famous literary cafés in Europe.