The triangle between the Royal Palace,Plaza Mayor and the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande coincides roughly with the city centre created by the kings of the Hapsburg dynasty from the time when Felipe II established his court in Madrid in 1561 up until the death of the last king of the dynasty, Carlos II, in 1700.Out of this chaotic town planning, the Plaza Mayor was created as a civic and social centre, a function which it still disputes to this very day with the nearby Puerta del Sol.

Information and guide suministrated by El Consorcio de Turismo de Madrid