Plaza Mayor

One of the things that we saw our first night in Salamanca was the Plaza Mayor. Built between 1729 and 1755 on Bourbon King Philip V’s orders, the Plaza Mayor is often considered Spain’s most beautiful central plaza, especially at night when its illumination casts a magical effect on the structure.

It was originally designed and built by Alberto Churriguera and contains 88 towering arches, the Ayuntamiento, and three pavilions dedicated to prominent historical figures in Spanish history. The Pabellón Real, located to the right of the Ayuntamiento, honors the Spanish monarchy and, controversially, the 20^th-century dictator Francisco Franco. The Pabellón del Sur pays homage to famous Spanish conquistadores while the Pabellón del Oeste is dedicated to other important salmantinos, such as Miguel de Unamuno and San Juan de Sahagún.