10 essentials: what to see and do in Plaza de Oriente (Madrid)

In your tourist trip to Madrid, Plaza de Oriente It must be a main focus of your visit, because in addition to being one of the most beautiful in the city, there you will find the imposing Royal Palace.

In addition to this imposing monument that you should not miss on your trip, the Plaza de Oriente in Madrid It concentrates other interesting corners to see.

You may not know that the origin of the project of a large square next to the Royal Palace It dates back to the 18th century, and was developed by the architect John Baptist Sachetti.

Curiosities about the history of the Plaza de Oriente in Madrid

But the first approximation to the configuration that you can currently see in the Plaza de Oriente in Madrid It is due to the time of Joseph Bonaparte.

Thus, it was from 1808 onwards that several blocks of houses were demolished, opening up space for the creation of garden areas.

Another key milestone took place around the time of the Queen isabel II, when starting in 1836 the creation of the current Royal Theatre, which ended up closing the plaza to the east.

Finally, in the mid-90s, a profound remodeling of the plaza was carried out, which involved the burying of the Bailen Street with the construction of a large parking lot and an underpass for vehicles.

This work led to the almost total pedestrianization of the Plaza de Oriente, remaining as you can see it now.

What to see and do when visiting the Plaza de Oriente in Madrid

Next I will point you out the best things to see and do when visiting the Plaza de Oriente in Madrid.

Visit the Royal Palace in Plaza de Oriente in Madrid

El Royal Palace It is not only the great monument of the Plaza de Orientebut also of Madrid.

The Official Rooms of this enormous palace that largely maintains its activity are an essential visit on a tourist trip to the capital of Spain.

Also, if you visit on a Wednesday, you will be able to see the changing of the guard at the door of the Plaza de Oriente.

And if it is the first Wednesday of the month (except in summer), you can attend the big Changing of the Guard parade.

Guided tour of the Royal Theater in Plaza de Oriente in Madrid

Si Visit the Plaza de Oriente During the morning of a weekday, you have the opportunity to sign up for a tour of the Royal Theatre and discover the surprising dimensions of this great opera house.

It is a building that dates back to the mid-1850th century, as it was inaugurated in XNUMX.

During your visit you will be able to see the most outstanding corners of the Royal Theater of Madrid which in its last stage was reopened in 1997, already as an opera house after a previous stage in which it served as a concert hall.

During your visit you will also have the opportunity to see from its upper floor the best panoramic views of the Plaza de Oriente.

Sabatini Gardens next to the Royal Palace in Madrid

In the northwest corner of the Plaza de Oriente, in the section that connects it with the nearby Spain Square, lean over the railing to see the Sabatini Gardens.

These are French-style gardens that were designed after the arrival of the Second Republic to our country in the place occupied by some old stables of the Royal Palace.

From these gardens you have the best views of a façade of the aforementioned palace, which is in an exalted position.

Gardens and monument to Cabo Noval in Plaza de Oriente in Madrid

While in the Plaza de Oriente de Madrid The most prominent and well-known gardens are those that occupy the central area, where the monument with the equestrian statue of Philip IV, there are also other garden areas to the north and south, which are delimited by rows of statues of Spanish kings.

In your visit to the Plaza de Oriente, you can see in the northern area of ​​it the Gardens of Cape Luis Noval, located in front of the Sabatini Gardens, Along the Royal Palace, in which a great monument will catch your attention.

This is the monument to Corporal Luis Noval, who also gives name to the gardens, which in the past were part of the nearby Monastery of the Incarnation.

El Corporal Luis Noval He performed a heroic act in the Moroccan War in 1909, where he warned his companions of a surprise attack by the Moorish moles, even though having been captured would mean his death.

In 1912, promoted by a women's association, the monument that you can now see in these was inaugurated. gardens of the Plaza de Oriente. The 6,5 meter high monument was made of stone and bronze by the sculptor Mariano Benlliure.

Visit the Royal Monastery of La Encarnación in Plaza de Oriente in Madrid

Closing the Cape Gardens Luis Noval you find the walls of Royal Monastery of the Incarnation, from the beginning of the 17th century, which you can visit.

Founded in 1611 by the Queen Margaret, wife Philip III, this monastery is an example of the so-called Madrid baroque.

During your visit you can see an important collection of paintings and sculptures from the 700th and XNUMXth centuries and, above all, a large reliquary with more than XNUMX pieces of bronze, ivory, coral and wood stands out.

Monument to Felipe IV in Plaza de Oriente in Madrid

The great protagonist of the center of the Plaza de Oriente he has it king Philip IV.

La equestrian statue of Philip IV, from the 17th century, is considered the most important that you can see on the streets of Madrid.

The reason is that it is the first equestrian statue in which the horse rests only on its hind legs, a technical achievement for which the expert himself was consulted. Galileo Galilei.

To point out, the author of the sculpture was inspired by a painting by Velázquez what you can see in the Prado Museum.

Statues of Spanish kings in Plaza de Oriente in Madrid

On the north and south sides of the center fields you will see a succession of statues of Spanish kings, which were sculpted in the mid-18th century with the purpose of being located at the top of the cornice of the Royal Palace.

In the end they were not installed and are distributed throughout various places in the city.

So, in the Plaza de Oriente you can see 20 sculptures that represent the Goth Kings and later kings of the time of the Reconquest.

Other places where you can see these sculptures of Spanish kings are the aforementioned Sabatini Gardens or in the Retirement park.

Monument to Captain Melgar in Plaza de Oriente in Madrid

In the gardens on the south side of the square you can see a small monument dedicated to Captain Melgar, with a bust on whose pedestal is the effigy of a soldier.

Located in the area of ​​the plaza known as the Lepanto Gardens, pays tribute to Captain Ángel Melgar, a Spanish soldier who died in 1909 in the Battle of Barranco del Lobo, possibly the most important confrontation that took place near Melilla before the one known as Moroccan War.

The monument was made by the sculptor Julio González-Pola and it was inaugurated in December 1911.

With a height of 3,60 meters, at the foot of the pedestal of the Monument to Captain Ángel Melgar You can see the plaque with the dedication.

Sit on a terrace in Plaza de Oriente in Madrid

And, of course, the Plaza de Oriente It is an ideal place to sit and enjoy the sunset on some of the terraces located on the outskirts of the Royal Theatre.

I will tell you that, without a doubt, the most famous is the Café de Oriente terrace.