Madrid Old Town & Royal Palace Walking Tour Skip the Line Ticket

Overview

What you’ll do

Welcome to our meeting point located at Calle Coloreros, 2. From here you will begin your visit to the Royal Palace

The name of the plaza has changed over time. It has been known as "Plaza del Arrabal", "Plaza de la Constitución", "Plaza Real", "Plaza de la República" and now "Plaza Mayor". These names reflect events, history and reign in Spanish history. "Plaza del Arrabal" was the original name of the present day "Plaza Mayor". The "Plaza del Arrabal" was once the site of the most popular marketplace until the end of 15th century. Following the Constitution of 1812, all major plazas in Spain were renamed "Plaza de la Constitución". It also held this name 1820 to 1823, 1833 to 1835, 1840 to 1843, and 1876 to 1922. When the Borbón king was restored in 1814, it became known as the "Plaza Real". In 1873, the name changed to "Plaza de la República". At the end of the Spanish Civil War the plaza received its present name of "Plaza Mayor".

More than 100 years have gone by since the Mercado de San Miguel opened its doors as a wholesale food market. Today, this historical building stands out as one of the world’s main gastronomic markets. It allows visitors to experience the essence and most significant flavors of every corner of Spain. From the finest Iberian ham and freshest fish and shellfish brought in daily from Galicia, to Mediterranean rice dishes and the most exquisite cheeses from Castile, Asturias and the Basque Country – at the Mercado de San Miguel, you’ll find all the highlights of Spanish cuisine. Spread out over more than 20 stands, the common denominator here is a commitment to high-quality tapas and pub fare.

This small street is one of the two most charming squares in Madrid: Conde de Miranda and Villa. And it can boast of housing a space protected by the historical and artistic environment that surrounds it: on the corner of the Plaza de la Villa is the Torre de los Lujanes (belonging to the 15th century). In that same part of the street there are also the Royal Maritense Economic Society of Friends of the Country, the old Municipal Newspaper Library and the Church of Corpus Christi, where the Convent of Las Carboneras is located, since the congregation keeps an image of Immaculate Conception found in a charcoal kiln and to which various miracles are attributed milagros.