The Plaza de Cervantes of Alcalà de Henares !!!

Posted in Madrid, Spain

This is one beautiful town of Alcalà de Henares which we have enjoyed over the years even from my eternal Madrid. Walking this rich architectural and historical town is a must even if not into walking. The main spot to be in the City is the Plaza de Cervantes and is gorgeous, Let me update this post with new text and links for you and me, Therefore, here is my take on the Plaza de Cervantes of Alcalà de Henares !!! Hope you enjoy as I.

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The Plaza de Cervantes is the center of the social life of Alcalà de Henares. This urban space connects directly with Calle Mayor and Calle Libreros, forming one of the main axes of the historic city. Initially it was the Plaza del Mercado , then the Plaza de la Constitución and, since 1879, it is the Plaza de Cervantes in memory of its favorite son Miguel de Cervantes. However, it is also popularly called Plaza Mayor, as it is the main and largest of Alcalá de Henares.

The surrounding of the Plaza de Cervantes is as follows : the Calle Mayor, Calle de los Colegios and Calle de los Cerrajeros (blacksmiths) end in the west; and that of Calle Libreros, Bustamante de la Cámara and Pedro Gumiel streets to the east with this last one leading to the Plaza de San Diego. To the south it borders Plaza Rodríguez Marín and communicates with Calle de los Colegios through Callejón de Santa María. In the center of it are walks and garden areas, in addition to the statue of Miguel de Cervantes 1879 and the Kiosk of Music 1898. It is of rectangular shape, it has an area of11,900 m² (200 meters long, 60 meters wide) Its north and west sides are supported. Currently, the Plaza de Cervantes has 72 exempt vertical supports: 16 are columns and 56 are stone pillars.

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In the Plaza de Cervantes are some of the most important monuments and institutions of the city, such as: Círculo de Contribuyentes (restaurant casino and events); Hotel Cervantes Ayuntamiento   (city hall) Corral de Comedias (theatre) and and the ruins of the Church of Santa María, destroyed in 1936 at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War , of which its bell tower and its Oidor Chapel are preserved. (see post) , In this square numerous cultural, sporting, political, social and religious activities are celebrated. For example: The Book Fair, Horseback Riding in August and the Three Kings Day, Cervantino Market and Easter Processions. Also, the Municipal Tourist Office is in Callejón de Santa María, 1. It is indeed the center focus of the city of Alcalà de Henares and a must to visit. Lovely architecture and historic buildings all around it.

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A bit of history I like tell us that the market of the town was celebrated and the annual fair of the same, granted by the Castilian king Alfonso VIII in 1184, for which it received the name of Plaza del Mercado. In the 15-16C, it was fully integrated into the urban area, by the expansion of the walls, first, and by the urban development of what would be the university neighbourhood, later. In this way the plaza became the main space of the town, the scene of all kinds of public celebrations, in addition to serving as a border between the jurisdiction of the town and that of the University. The Council headquarters were located there from the 16C. In the 19C the square underwent numerous changes. It received its current name Plaza de Cervantes. The current appearance of the Plaza de Cervantes is due to the semi-pedestrianization process of its north and west sides, works carried out between 2018 and 2019.

The Calle Mayor private site on the Plaza de Cervantes : https://lacallemayor.net/turismo/lugares-de-interes-alcala-de-henares/lugares-con-encanto/plaza-de-cervantes/

The Alcalà de Henares tourist office on the Plaza de Cervantes : https://www.turismoalcala.es/turismo/plaza-de-cervantes-alcala-de-henares/

The Alcalà de Henares private tourist site on the Plaza de Cervantes : https://alcalaturismoymas.com/plaza-cervantes-alcala-henares/

The Comunidad de Madrid regional tourist office on the statue of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra : https://todosobremadrid.com/que-hacer/escultura-a-miguel-de-cervantes/

There you go folks, a wonderful square in a wonderful city of Alcalà de Henares. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Plaza de Cervantes of Alcalà de Henares as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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