Callao Square
Central square in Madrid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Callao Square (Spanish: plaza del Callao)[1] is located at the centre of the Spanish capital of Madrid.
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View of the square in 2015 | |
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| Native name | Plaza del Callao (Spanish) |
|---|---|
| Namesake | Battle of Callao |
| Type | square |
| Maintained by | Ayuntamiento of Madrid |
| Location | Centro, Madrid, Spain |
| Postal code | 28013 |
| Coordinates | 40.419862°N 3.705828°W |
| Major junctions | Calle de Preciados, Gran Vía |
History and description
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
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Buildings on the Square include:
- Cine Callao
- El Corte Inglés department store at #2, 9 stories,[7] part of a multi-building store complex
- Fnac
- La Adriática building at Plaza de Callao #3 (Gran Vía #39)
- Hotel Florida (demolished)