Plaza de España

The Plaza de España, in Mérida

The Plaza de España is the heart of Mérida, a fine arcaded square lined with terraces and dominated by the co-cathedral Santa María. The Mérida audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this square of medieval origin, laid out under the Catholic Monarchs, a meeting place of the inhabitants a stone's throw from the Alcazaba and the Roman bridge.

The main square of the Catholic Monarchs

Here you are in the heart of Mérida, on its Plaza de España. This square, of medieval origin like all the great Spanish squares, was laid out as you see it today in the time of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. The historians consider their reign as the transition between the Middle Ages and the modern era. If you no longer know very well who these Catholic Monarchs were, simply remember that their marriage in a way created Spain as we know it: their union linked the crown of Aragon to that of Castile, thus forming the Crown of Spain. They completed the Reconquista by taking the kingdom of Granada, the last territory of Al-Andalus, in 1492, the very year when Christopher Columbus, whom they supported, reached America. The square, like all the plazas mayores, had over time two great functions: market and place of public gathering. Lined with arcades and café terraces, embellished with a pretty fountain, it is today the open-air drawing room of the people of Mérida, who gather there at the end of the day. It is dominated by the co-cathedral Santa María, the oldest building that lines it, and is a stone's throw from the Alcazaba and the Roman bridge. A historic square and a heart of the town, the Plaza de España is a fine stop of the discovery of Mérida.

What to see

Here you discover the heart of Mérida, a square of medieval origin laid out under the Catholic Monarchs, whose union formed the Crown of Spain; lined with arcades and café terraces, embellished with a fountain, a former square of market and gathering, it is dominated by the co-cathedral Santa María and neighbours the Alcazaba and the Roman bridge. The Plaza de España is the heart of Mérida. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Plaza de España lies in the heart of Mérida, not far from the Alcazaba and the Roman bridge, reachable on foot. It is a public square freely accessible, lined with arcades, café terraces and the co-cathedral, lively at the end of the day. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

What is the history of the Plaza de España of Mérida?

Of medieval origin, it was laid out under the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, whose union formed the Crown of Spain and who completed the Reconquista in 1492; a former square of market and gathering, lined with arcades and terraces, it is dominated by the co-cathedral Santa María, a stone's throw from the Alcazaba and the Roman bridge.

Where is the Plaza de España in Mérida?

In the heart of Mérida, in Extremadura, in Spain.