Come here to experience Madrid like a local - most tourists flock to the larger squares.
Plaza de Santa Ana was built in the 19th century on the site of an old monastery of the same name, which had been demolished in 1810. Its most iconic feature is on the square's western side: overlooking the plaza is the Reina Sofia, a 19th century hotel with a grand windowed façade that is famed as a favourite stopover for popular bullfighters. Manolete, considered by many the greatest bullfighter of all time, always stayed in room 220.
Smaller than Puerta del Sol and less pricy than Plaza Mayor, this is also a quieter spot to relax, where you're less likely to be bothered by any street performers. But there's still lots going on, with hundreds of surrounding tapas bars and vinotecas nearby, and the square makes a great starting point for night-time excursions in summer. On Sunday mornings, Madrilenian families stroll here to buy newspapers and loaves of bread.
It's also a beautiful place: many of the restaurants are decorated with elegant ceramic tiles. Two statues pay tribute to authors of the Spanish Golden Age, the playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca, and the poet and dramatist Federico García Lorca, who was killed by Nationalists during the Civil War.
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