ABSTRACT
The Spanish plaza was one of the major types of urban squares developed in the early 17th century. At that time, Madrid was a living laboratory for new urbanistic ideas, and the construction of Plaza Mayor in Madrid is described as an urban space made for all kinds of performances, from autos da fe and bullfights to real drama. The intense process of urbanization in Madrid presented a challenge to its inhabitants, and a number of writers tried to cope with this challenge. Alonso Salas Barbadillo praised “the plaza, indeed, of Madrid,” Jerónimo de Quintana gave a detailed description of the plaza in his chronicle of Madrid; Francisco Quevedo wrote a sonnet on the plaza; Tirso de Molina praised the “generous plaza”; and Pedro de Calderón, who in one of his plays lamented that the growth of Madrid was so violent “that a resident from one day to another may be unable to recognize the place where he lived yesterday,” also helped such residents by putting Plaza Mayor on the literary map.
