Right in the heart of Madrid’s old town is Plaza de España, a large landscaped area that provides a breathing space for the city, along with El Retiro Park. It’s situated in the Argüelles neighbourhood in the district of Moncloa-Aravaca. The square provides a link between Gran Vía and Calle de la Princesa, and this strategic location makes it one of the busiest spots in the city. Covering an area of 36,900 square metres, it is one of the largest squares in Spain.
Right in the middle of the square is a monumental fountain that serves as a homage to the world-famous writer Miguel de Cervantes. It was erected in 1929 to commemorate the third centenary of his death. The sculpture depicts the main characters of his well-known work “Don Quixote of La Mancha”.
The area around the square is taken up by some of the tallest buildings in the capital, such as the Torre Madrid, which for many years was the tallest concrete building in the world. There’s also the Edificio España, a large complex that occupies one side of the square and is easily recognised by its four-tiered outline; Casa Gallardo, one of the few examples of Modernist architecture in Madrid; and the Real Compañía Asturiana de Minas, a beautiful piece of architecture that houses the Community of Madrid’s Department of Culture.
If you want to have a walk around the centre of Madrid and admire its architecture, you can leave your car in one of the Saba public car parks that you’ll find all over the city. You can park your car in a car park very close to Plaza de España on Plaza de los Mostenses. It’s open 24 hours a day, has spaces reserved for disabled persons, vehicle surveillance and VIA-T on entry and exit. There’s also a car wash service available.
