 View of the square in 2015 | |
 | |
| Native name | Plaza del Callao (Spanish) |
|---|---|
| Namesake | Battle of Callao |
| Type | square |
| Maintained by | Ayuntamiento of Madrid |
| Location | Centro, Madrid, Spain |
| Postal code | 28013 |
| Coordinates | 40°25′12″N3°42′21″W / 40.419862°N 3.705828°W |
| Major junctions | Calle de Preciados, Gran Vía |
The Callao Square (Spanish: plaza del Callao) [1] is located at the centre of the Spanish capital of Madrid.
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]
Buildings on the Square include:
El Corte Inglés S.A., headquartered in Madrid, is the biggest department store group in Europe and ranks third worldwide. Its primary source of sales is from department stores, followed by internet sales. It is a family business, with most stock held by relatives of the deceased businessmen Ramon Areces Rodriguez and César Rodríguez González (1882–1966), and the Ramon Areces foundation.
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