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Native name | Plaza del Callao ( Spanish) |
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Namesake | Battle of Callao |
Type | square |
Maintained by | Ayuntamiento of Madrid |
Location | Centro, Madrid, Spain |
Postal code | 28013 |
Coordinates | 40°25′12″N 3°42′21″W / 40.419862°N 3.705828°W |
Major junctions | Calle de Preciados, Gran Vía |
The Callao Square (Spanish: plaza del Callao) [1] is located at the centre of the Spanish capital of Madrid.
Shaped in 1861, [2] the square was formally opened in June 1866; [3] its name remembers the May 1866 battle of Callao between the Spanish naval forces under the command of Casto Méndez Núñez and the Peruvian army. [3]
The square was substantially and aggressively reformed in the 21st century. [4] The reform removed nearly all elements present by that time, except the metro station access and a big tree, turning the square into a pedestrian and homogeneous space, while adding a limited number of pieces of urban furniture. [5] Conversely, big screens were added to the surrounding buildings. [5] Located in a very commercial area of the city, the pedestrian space is often for rent to companies wanting to carry out advertising events. [6]
Buildings on the Square include: