Plaza de España

The Plaza de España, in Cadix

The Plaza de España is one of the great urban scenes of Cadix, a vast square open onto the port and marked by the history of Spanish liberalism. The Cadix audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this monumental place dominated by the Monument to the Constitution of 1812, La Pepa, and framed by the elegant Casa de las Cinco Torres and Casa de las Cuatro Torres with their tower-miradors.

The monument to the Constitution of 1812

Monumental, open onto the port and marked by the history of Spanish liberalism, the Plaza de España is one of the great urban scenes of Cadix. From the place where you are, at the extremity of the square, you are just in front of the Casa de las Cinco Torres, an elegant ensemble of the eighteenth century recognisable by its five miradors that punctuate the façade. Just beside it, the Casa de las Cuatro Torres answers it with its four almost identical tower-miradors: formerly, these belvederes served the traders to scrutinise the arrival of the merchant ships in the bay. By advancing straight ahead on the great esplanade, you will gradually reach the Monument to the Constitution of 1812, the focal point of the square. This vast hemicycle commemorates La Pepa, the first Spanish constitution, adopted in Cadix: two bronze horsemen symbolise War and Peace, a high column carries the allegory of Spain holding the constitutional text, and several sculpted groups recount the Gaditan resistance against Napoleon as well as the birth of liberal ideas. If you turn towards the other side of the square, the great building you glimpse shelters institutions of the town. Vast and solemn, open onto the port and lined with palm trees, the Plaza de España is a place of memory and promenade, where the history of Spanish liberty is given to read in the open air. A monumental square and a memory of La Pepa, the Plaza de España is a fine stop of the discovery of Cadix.

What to see

Here you discover a vast square open onto the port, dominated by the Monument to the Constitution of 1812, La Pepa, a vast hemicycle where two bronze horsemen symbolise War and Peace and where Spain holds the constitutional text; it is framed by the Casa de las Cinco Torres and the Casa de las Cuatro Torres, former merchant houses with tower-miradors. The Plaza de España is a monumental scene of Cadix. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Plaza de España lies in the heart of Cadix, open onto the port, reachable on foot. It is a vast public square freely accessible, adorned with the Monument to the Constitution of 1812 and lined with palm trees. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

What does the Plaza de España of Cadix commemorate?

It commemorates La Pepa, the first Spanish constitution, adopted in Cadix in 1812, through its great Monument to the Constitution: a vast hemicycle where two bronze horsemen symbolise War and Peace, a high column carries the allegory of Spain holding the text, and sculpted groups recount the resistance against Napoleon and the birth of liberal ideas.

Where is the Plaza de España in Cadix?

In the heart of Cadix, open onto the port, in Spain.