Plaza de Colón (; ) is located in the encounter of

Chamberí Chamberí is a district of Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population ...

, Centro and Salamanca districts of

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. This plaza and its fountain commemorate the explorer

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

, whose name in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

was Cristóbal Colón.

Monuments

The plaza, originally called Plaza de Santiago (''St. James Square''), was renamed Plaza de Colón in 1893 to honor Christopher Columbus. The square contains two monuments. On the

Paseo de la Castellana Paseo de la Castellana, commonly known as La Castellana, is a major thoroughfare in Madrid, Spain. Cutting across the city from south to north, it has been described as the "true structuring axis" of the city. History and description The street ...

side there is a monument to Columbus whose base was constructed between 1881 and 1885. It is topped by a statue of Columbus. The monument is 3 meters tall. The second monument near the Calle de Serrano consists of a group of concrete macro-sculptures by Joaquín Vaquero Turcios. The concrete blocks are decorated with inscriptions and reliefs related to the

discovery of America The human history of the Americas is thought to begin with people migrating to these areas from Asia during the height of an ice age. These groups are generally believed to have been isolated from the people of the "Old World" until the coming o ...

Flag

Since Spain's National Day in 2001, the world's largest Spanish flag—14m x 21m (46 x 69 ft.)—294 square meters (3164 square feet)—has flown from a flagpole in Plaza de Colón that is 50 m (164 ft.) high. The flag originally cost €378,000. It was replaced in January, 2016 at a cost of €400,000.

Other features

The

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

s in the plaza are known as the Jardines del Descubrimiento (''Gardens of Discovery''), where the

Royal Mint The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's official maker of British coins. It is currently located in Llantrisant, Wales, where it moved in 1968. Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly ow ...

was located until 1970. At the base of the Columbus monument is a large fountain with a broad cascade of water. There are steps leading under the cascade and beneath the plaza, where the roar of the fountain is amplified. Under the plaza along with the ''

Teatro Fernán Gómez The Teatro Fernán Gómez (previously Centro Cultural de la Villa de Madrid) is a theatre and cultural centre in Madrid, Spain. History Located near the Plaza de Colón in the Jardines del Descubrimiento, the theatre was inaugurated on 15 May 19 ...

'' lies a stop for a special shuttle that takes passengers to Barajas Airport. At the other side of the Plaza are the twin Torres de Colón. The

Platea Madrid Platea Madrid is a gourmet food hall on the Plaza de Colón in Madrid. It is located in a former cinema and employs ca. 380 people. Mexican, Peruvian, Italian, and various Asian cuisines are offered as well as Michelin star restaurateurs Paco Ronc ...

gourmet

food hall A food hall is a large standalone location or department store section where food and drinks are sold. Overview Unlike food courts made up of fast food chains, food halls typically mix local artisan restaurants, butcher shops and other food- ...

is located on the square at Calle de Goya 5–7.

References

External links

Plaza de Colon - History, Present day and Location
Colon {{Madrid-geo-stub