SPAIN | Salamanca, Spain Travel Guide
Monday, December 23, 2024
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Plaza Mayor
C/ Cristo De Los Milagros 7-13
Salamanca
Castilla y León
Type: Sightseeing
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Salamanca
Castilla y León
Type: Sightseeing
Comments ( 0 )
Rating (0 Votes)
Salamanca lays claim to the most attractive town square in all of Spain; only a Madrileño would dare opine al contrario. It is situated in the very center of the city’s Casco Antiguo, making it a hub of activity at all hours. Roving bands of musicians play brass, guitars and accordions to sangria-sipping tourists seated at outdoor tables; half-wit performers fumble their latest tricks; amateur photographers struggle to capture the great Baroque square in one click of the shutter.
The Plaza Mayor was commissioned by Felipe V as a gift to the city in gratitude for the Salamantinos’ support of the Bourbons during the Spanish War of Succession. From 1729 to 1755 Alberto Churriguera oversaw its construction – an uninterrupted ground-floor arcade with 88 arches defining the imperfectly square perimeter with a four-story façade highlighted by the city’s Ayuntamiento (town hall). Granite accents set off the Villamayor stone quarried from the nearby town and are seen throughout the city, giving Salamanca that famous golden hue in sunlight.
The stone, long favored by the locals for its malleability, is the key component of the Salamanca plateresque style. The pabellónes (pavilions) connected to the Ayuntamiento feature medallions with bas-reliefs depicting the Spanish monarchs from Alphonso IX to Carlos III, conquistadores Hernán Cortez, Pizarro and one Don Xptova Colón (otherwise known as Christopher Columbus), along with other illustrious figures, including El Cid and Santa Teresa.
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