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Plaza del Dos de Mayo

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Plaza del Dos de Mayo
View of the square in 2015
Map
NamesakeDos de Mayo Uprising
Typesquare
Maintained byAyuntamiento of Madrid
LocationCentro, Madrid, Spain
Postal code28004
Coordinates40°25′37″N 3°42′15″W / 40.426975°N 3.704064°W / 40.426975; -3.704064

The Plaza del Dos de Mayo is an urban square in Madrid, Spain. It is the centre of the Malasaña area,[1] within the administrative neighborhood of Universidad.

Its name remembers the Dos de Mayo Uprising in 1808 that marked the beginning of the Spanish War of Independence.[2] The plaza features a monumental arch in its centre dedicated to Luis Daoíz and Pedro Velarde, two soldiers fallen to the French army on 2 May 1808 who became heroes in the national imaginary.[2] The area was the place where the Monteleón Artillery barracks lied in 1808 and where the heroic defense of the aforementioned "martyrs" took place.[3]

In 1868 there was already an open semicircular space,[3] but it left much to be desired. The municipal authorities, aware of the potential symbolic value, decided to refurbish and put the area in value.[3] Following the demolishing of the Convent of Las Maravillas, the remains of the palace of the Dukes of Monteleón and further housing in order to create a gardened space with the monumental arch in its centre,[2] the area was inaugurated on 1 May 1869.[2]

More recently, the plaza became a preferential location for casual alcohol consumption.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Cruz, Luis de la (8 March 2003). "Dos de Mayo, la plaza". Somos Malasaña. El Periódico.
  2. ^ a b c d Cantalapiedra, Ricardo (2 May 1995). "Memorias de una plaza". El País.
  3. ^ a b c Hernando Carrasco, Javier (1987). Las bellas artes y la revolución de 1868. Oviedo: Universidad de Oviedo. Servicio de Publicaciones. pp. 87–89. ISBN 9788474681215.
  4. ^ Hidalgo, Carlos (23 April 2018). "Botellódromo» sin control en la plaza del Dos de Mayo". ABC.