Plaza de España: Cervantes, Don Quixote and Sancho
Why is it significant?
Walk up to the big stone monument at the western end of the square. At its foot ride two bronze figures you know even if you have never read the book: a tall, thin knight on a bony horse, and a short, round squire on a donkey. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, setting out once again.
Key Facts
| Place | Plaza de España: Cervantes, Don Quixote and Sancho |
|---|---|
| Address | Plaza de España, 28008 Madrid, Spain |
| Geo Coordinates | 40.42320, -3.71260 |
| Part of Walk | Dukes, Monks and an Egyptian Temple: Madrid's Conde Duque to Templo de Debod |
| Generated | Generated |
Walk up to the big stone monument at the western end of the square. At its foot ride two bronze figures you know even if you have never read the book: a tall, thin knight on a bony horse, and a short, round squire on a donkey. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, setting out once again.
Above them sits their creator, Miguel de Cervantes, in stone, looking down at his characters. The monument was planned for the three hundredth anniversary of his death in 1916, through a competition won by the architect Rafael Martínez Zapatero and the sculptor Lorenzo Coullaut Valera. Inaugurated in 1929, it was only completed in 1957, finished by the sculptor's son, Federico Coullaut-Valera. Look at the very top: a globe surrounded by figures reading, the peoples of five continents sharing one book.
Find the two women on either side as well. One is Dulcinea, the ideal lady of Don Quixote's dreams. The other is Aldonza Lorenzo, the real farm girl he turned into that dream. Same person, two statues... that is Cervantes in a nutshell.
Now turn round and look up. On the eastern side rise two towers of the 1950s, the Edificio España, finished in 1953, and the slimmer Torre de Madrid, which for some years was among the tallest concrete buildings in Europe. They were symbols of a country trying to look modern after years of isolation. And the square itself only exists because the old San Gil barracks were demolished at the start of the twentieth century.
The square was redesigned and reopened in 2021, with more trees, more shade and space for walking instead of cars. Sit for a moment on a bench by the fountain and let the knight ride on. Then cross to the north-west corner of the square and take Calle de Ferraz for a short block to a side street, where a marquis left his house exactly as he lived in it.