The continuous arcades
Three storeys ringing the space with no street through it.
muffinn from Worcester, UK โ CC BY 2.0 ยท manuel m. v. โ CC BY 2.0 ยท Alexkom000 โ CC BY 4.0 ยท Alexkom000 โ CC BY 4.0
**A Baroque square entirely enclosed on four sides, regarded as the finest in Spain** โ and the city's social heart. It was built between **1729 and 1755** in the local sandstone, โ **and its plan is completely closed**: **three storeys of continuous arcades** ringing the space on every side, **with no street cutting through** โ **you enter through vaulted passages**. โ **Carved medallions on its arches** portray Spanish figures: kings, commanders and writers โ โ **and some medallions are deliberately blank**, to be filled later. โ **Bullfights were held here** until the 19th century โ **the closed form began as an arena**. โ **The sandstone turns gold at sunset**, โ **and the square is lit at night**, which is when it is at its best. โ **Free and always open.**
Three storeys ringing the space with no street through it.
Carved Spanish figures on the arches, some left blank.
Sandstone taking colour at sunset and under the night lights.
Plaza Mayor, 37002 Salamanca, Spain
**An official planning type imposed by the crown in the 16th and 17th centuries, with defined functions.** โ **The idea**: a **Plaza Mayor** is a central square, **rectangular and enclosed by arcades**, **at the city's heart**, **ringed by buildings of matching height and front**. โ **Its functions were multiple and specific**: **(1) the market** โ the arcades shelter traders from rain and sun. **(2) Official ceremony** โ royal proclamations and feasts. **(3) Bullfighting** โ โ **an enclosed square is a ready-made arena**, **and the balconies are tiers**; **which is the reason for the form**. **(4) Public trials and executions** โ โ including those of the Inquisition. **(5) Administration** โ **the town hall always stands on one side**. โ **Why they resemble one another**: **royal ordinances regulating town planning** (especially in Spanish America) **imposed the type**; **making it a standard model**. โ **Which is why you find a Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Salamanca, Valladolid and across Latin America** โ **the resemblance is deliberate, not coincidental**. โ **Salamanca's is reckoned the finest** for the harmony of its stone and the density of its carving.
Sign in to write your review of this place.
No reviews yet โ be the first.