Plaza de Mina

The Plaza de Mina, in Cadix

The Plaza de Mina is one of the most pleasant squares of Cadix, a shaded garden born from the former vegetable garden of a convent, that hides some astonishing stories. The Cadix audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this elegant square, that owes its name to a hero of the struggle against Napoleon, and where the famous Gaditan composer Manuel de Falla was born in 1876.

The garden of the monks' vegetable garden

The Plaza de Mina is one of the most pleasant squares of Cadix, with its shaded paths, but it also hides some astonishing stories. Imagine that originally, there was no garden here, but the vegetable garden of the convent of San Francisco. The monks cultivated there fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants until the nineteenth century. It is only after the great ecclesiastical confiscations of 1836 that this land was taken over by the town and entirely reinvented as a public square. The square owes its name to a true adventure hero: a statue of the general Espoz y Mina, famous guerrilla who fought the Napoleonic troops, was formerly installed in its centre. It was so emblematic that the inhabitants ended up calling the place Plaza de Mina, and the name remained even after the mysterious disappearance of the statue, of which it is still unknown today what became. By strolling around the square, you will also cross some façades laden with personal stories. At number 3, for example, is the birthplace of Manuel de Falla: the most famous composer of Cadix was born there in 1876, and each 23rd of November, date of his birth, the town pays tribute to him. Lined with palm trees, great trees and fine buildings of the nineteenth century, including the museum of Cadix, the square is a haven of calm much appreciated by the inhabitants. A shaded garden and a place of memory, the Plaza de Mina is a fine stop of the discovery of Cadix.

What to see

Here you discover one of the most pleasant squares of Cadix, a shaded garden born in 1836 from the former vegetable garden of the convent of San Francisco; it owes its name to the general Espoz y Mina, a guerrilla against Napoleon whose statue has mysteriously disappeared, and shelters at number 3 the birthplace of Manuel de Falla, born in 1876, as well as the museum of Cadix. The Plaza de Mina is a haven of calm of Cadix. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Plaza de Mina lies in the heart of the historic centre of Cadix, reachable on foot. It is a public square freely accessible, shaded by palm trees and great trees, lined with the museum of Cadix and fine façades of the nineteenth century. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

Where does the name of the Plaza de Mina in Cadix come from?

From the general Espoz y Mina, famous guerrilla who fought the Napoleonic troops, whose statue once sat in the centre of the square; it was so emblematic that the name remained even after the mysterious disappearance of the statue. Laid out in 1836 on the former vegetable garden of the convent of San Francisco, the square also shelters the birthplace of Manuel de Falla.

Where is the Plaza de Mina in Cadix?

In the heart of the historic centre of Cadix, in Spain.