The square called “Plaza de Oriente” is located in the district “Madrid de los Austrias / Las Latina”, directly next to the palace “Palacio Real”.
It was the idea of Napoleons brother Jose Bonaparte to create a square like this one. He was the king of Spain in 1808, and he was not too excited about the condition and character of Madrid. He prefered less narrow alleys full of nooks and crannies, and wanted more space for squares. The Plaza de Oriente was one of the ideas to follow his beliefs.
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During the 90’s Plaza de Oriente became tunneled. The result was more peace and calmness. The central part of the square is greened and surrounded by stone sculptures of Visigothic kings.
The opera of Madrid is also part of the square, as well as many coffee houses which present themselfes in a very noble style.
The junction of “Calle Felipe V” offers the entrance down to Madrids underworld. If you are careful on your way down, you might see the foundations of a watch tower from the 11th century behind glass. Those traces of Madrids Islamic past were found during the 90’s, when the underground carpark was built.
Metro 2 and 5: Opera