The Plaza de Gabriel Lodares (formerly called Plaza de Canalejas) is a square of

Albacete Albacete (, also , ; ar, ﭐَلبَسِيط, Al-Basīṭ) is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete. Lying in the south-ea ...

(

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

) located in the center of the city. It is located at the confluence of the calles Tesifonte Gallego, Paseo Simón Abril, Avenida de España y Octavio Cuartero, and is the main gateway to Parque Abelardo Sánchez. Home to important buildings such as the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense in Albacete, the Casa de Archillas or the central delegation of

Caja Castilla-La Mancha Caja Castilla-La Mancha (Spanish language, Spanish for: Castilla-La Mancha Savings Bank) also known as C''aja de Ahorros de Castilla-La Mancha'' or ''CCM'' was a Spanish savings bank headquartered in Cuenca, Spain, Cuenca. In 2010, Cajastur took ...

in the city. It is one of the busiest places of

. In the past was called Plaza de Canalejas.

History

The square is named after Gabriel Lodares Mayor of

from 1900 to 1901 and from 1904 to 1906. The emblematic Fuente de las Ranas of

was in the center of the square between 1916 and 1936. The square houses the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense in Albacete, a unique building designed by the architect Daniel Rubio in 1920. It began as a sanatorium and later became a recruiting center for

conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

and Military Government.

The square today

The square has undergone in recent years to a number of improvements that have given its current appearance. It is one of the busiest areas of

, confluence of some of the most important arteries of the city, such as Avenida de España or the calle Ancha. Is also the main gateway to parque Abelardo Sánchez, the lungs of the city. Houses the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense in Albacete, the central delegation of

(CCM) and several modernisme buildings like the Casa de Archillas , emblematic palace of the 20th century.

Culture

During the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

is located, in the center of the square, a large Christmas tree. In Ash Wednesday is celebrated the

Entierro de la Sardina The " Burial of the Sardine''" ( es, Entierro de la sardina) is a Spanish ceremony celebrating the end of carnival and other festivities. The "Burials" generally consist of a carnival parade that parodies a funeral procession and culminates with th ...

, in which a falla shaped sardine (Doña Sardina) is moved with funeral procession from the Plaza de Gabriel Lodares to the Plaza del Altozano, where it is tried, convicted and burned

References

{{coord, 38.9904, N, 1.8565, W, source:wikidata, display=title Albacete