The Callao Square (Spanish: plaza del Callao)[1] is located at the centre of the Spanish capital of Madrid.
History and description
Shaped in 1861,[2] the square was formally opened in June 1866;[3] its name remembers the May 1866 battle of Callao between the Spanish naval forces under the command of Casto Méndez Núñez and the Peruvian army.[3]
The square was substantially and aggressively reformed in the 21st century.[4] The reform removed nearly all elements present by that time, except the metro station access and a big tree, turning the square into a pedestrian and homogeneous space, while adding a limited number of pieces of urban furniture.[5] Conversely, big screens were added to the surrounding buildings.[5] Located in a very commercial area of the city, the pedestrian space is often for rent to companies wanting to carry out advertising events.[6]
Alfaro Zaforteza, Carlos (2014). "From Trafalgar to Santiago: The Spanish Navy and National Identity in Nineteenth-Century Spain". In Duncan Redford (ed.). Maritime History and Identity: The Sea and Culture in the Modern World. London & New York: I.B. Tauris. pp. 253–270. ISBN978-1-78076-329-3.