The esplanade that today forms the Plaza Mayor has undergone radical transformations over the centuries. Far from its current appearance, the space began as an area outside the city walls known as the Luján Lagoon. When the water dried up, the constant flow of people gradually shaped the area, which came to be known as Plaza del Arrabal. As early as the 13th century, the site began to be used regularly as a market, marking the beginning of its long history of diverse uses.
Autos-de-fé and public executions
For centuries, the site was the venue chosen by the Inquisition to hold autos-da-fé. These ceremonies, during which the condemned were tried and sentences were pronounced, lasted entire days. Local anticipation was so great that residents camped out in the plaza in the days leading up to the event to secure a spot with a good view, treating the occasion much like a major public spectacle.
In the 17th century, the site hosted public executions marked by a stark class divide. Nobles were beheaded in front of the Royal Bakery, while the rest of the condemned suffered the garrote vil with the Butchers’ Guild Hall as a backdrop. One of the most memorable executions was that of Rodrigo Calderón in 1621. The condemned man maintained such stoic composure throughout the entire process that his attitude was immortalized in Spanish proverbs with the expression “to have more pride than Rodrigo before the gallows.”
At the same time, the site was occasionally closed off and fitted with wooden bleachers to host bullfights. These temporary transformations took place on special occasions, such as the wedding of Ferdinand VII in 1803, and continued as late as 1970 with a commemorative medieval bullfight on horseback organized by the Círculo de Bellas Artes.
From Parking Lot to Contemporary Venue
In the 19th century, the plaza looked very different from today: it was entirely landscaped and filled with trees and benches, serving as a true “lung” right in the heart of the city. However, the rapid growth of the car fleet decades later brought about a drastic change. Between 1967 and 1969, while the city was building new underground parking garages, the cobblestone esplanade was converted into a public surface parking lot.
Beyond the well-established Christmas market, interventions in recent decades have continued to alter its appearance for brief periods. In 2017, as part of the events commemorating the plaza’s 400th anniversary, a Madrid-based artist installed a circle of natural grass 70 meters in diameter for a weekend. Two years later, artificial turf was laid to create a soccer field for the Champions League final held at the Metropolitano.
That same year, 2019, the plaza hosted a 360-degree video-mapping art installation that projected the site’s history onto its four facades. The event drew 24,000 attendees, serving as a visual reminder of all the activities and temporary functions this space has hosted since its inception.