The Plaza Mayor: Spain's Stage for Power and Spectacle

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Plaza Mayor, the iconic central square that became the heart of Spanish urban life and imperial power. From its origins as a medieval market square to its transformation into a grand architectural symbol under the Habsburgs, the Plaza Mayor served as a stage for autos-da-fé, bullfights, royal proclamations, and public executions. They discuss the square's design by Juan de Herrera and Juan Gómez de Mora, its role in Madrid's rise as the capital under Philip II, and how the Plaza Mayor model was exported to the Americas. Specific examples include the Plaza Mayor of Madrid, the Zócalo in Mexico City (built atop the Aztec Templo Mayor), and the Plaza de Armas in Lima. Lucas also highlights the square's function as a controlled space for imperial pageantry and social hierarchy, where the king could survey his subjects from the Casa de la Panadería. The episode touches on the 1640 fire that destroyed the original Madrid square and its subsequent rebuilding, as well as the use of plazas mayores for the Inquisition's autos-da-fé, blending civic pride with terror. #PlazaMayor #Madrid #HabsburgSpain #PhilipII #JuanDeHerrera #JuanGómezDeMora #AutoDaFe #SpanishInquisition #Zócalo #MexicoCity #Lima #PlazaDeArmas #UrbanHistory #SpanishArchitecture #ImperialPageantry #CasaDeLaPanadería #1640Fire #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo