Plaza Mayor

Up until 1790, Madrid's Plaza Mayor was once the scene of the famous autos-de-fe during the Spanish Inquisition in which people who were considered to be "heretics" were executed via burnings at the stake, death by garrote, hangings, etc.

Now, however, it serves the purpose of any typical Spanish plaza, a common meeting point for madrileños to congregate and pass the time, seated at one of the outdoor tables at the terrazas or sprawled out on the cobblestones to soak up the sun.

Here, just in time for the Eurocopa and the patriotic pride in the national soccer team, the wrought-iron balconies are decorated with Spanish flags. ¡Viva Torres!