# Callao Square

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The **Callao Square** (Spanish: ***plaza del Callao***)[1] is located at the centre of the Spanish capital of [Madrid](/source/Madrid).

## History and description

Shaped in 1861,[2] the square was formally opened in June 1866;[3] its name remembers the May 1866 [battle of Callao](/source/Battle_of_Callao) between the Spanish naval forces under the command of [Casto Méndez Núñez](/source/Casto_M%C3%A9ndez_N%C3%BA%C3%B1ez) 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](/source/Callao_(Madrid_Metro)) and a big tree, turning the square into a [pedestrian](/source/Pedestrian_zone) 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

Buildings on the Square include:

- [Cine Callao](/source/Cine_Callao)
- [El Corte Inglés](/source/El_Corte_Ingl%C3%A9s) department store at #2, 9 stories,[7] part of a multi-building store complex
- [Fnac](/source/Fnac)
- [*La Adriática* building](/source/Edificio_La_Adri%C3%A1tica,_Madrid) at Plaza de Callao #3 ([Gran Vía](/source/Gran_V%C3%ADa_(Madrid)) #39)
- [Hotel Florida](/source/Hotel_Florida_(Madrid)) (demolished)

## See also

- [Piccadilly Circus](/source/Piccadilly_Circus)
- [Times Square](/source/Times_Square)
- [Sankofa Square](/source/Sankofa_Square)
- [Shibuya](/source/Shibuya)

## References

**Citations**

1. Alfaro Zaforteza 2014, p. 260.

1. Alonso Pereira 1980, p. 23.

1. Gea Ortigas 2012, p. 58.

1. Nieto Codina 2010, p. 72; Brandis García & Río Lafuente 2016, p. 261

1. Nieto Codina 2010, p. 73.

1. Brandis García & Río Lafuente 2016, pp. 257–258.

1. ["Departamentos en El Corte Inglés Preciados–Callao"](https://www.elcorteingles.es/centroscomerciales/es/eci/centros/centro-comercial-preciados-callao/departamentos/por_plantas). *El Corte Inglés*. Retrieved 7 January 2024.

**Bibliography**

- Alfaro Zaforteza, Carlos (2014). "From Trafalgar to Santiago: The Spanish Navy and National Identity in Nineteenth-Century Spain". *Maritime History and Identity: The Sea and Culture in the Modern World*. Duncan Redford (ed.). London & New York: [I.B. Tauris](/source/I.B._Tauris). pp. 253–270. ISBN 978-1-78076-329-3.
- Alonso Pereira, José Ramón (1980). ["En torno a la Gran Vía"](http://granvia.memoriademadrid.es/fondos/OTROS/Imp_22025_ia_villamadrid_num069_0019-0028.pdf). *Villa de Madrid*. '***(69): 19–28. Madrid: [Ayuntamiento de Madrid](/source/Ayuntamiento_of_Madrid). [ISSN 0042-6164](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0042-6164)***
- Brandis García, Dolores & Río Lafuente, Isabel del (2016). ["Paisaje y espacio público urbano. El deterioro de las plazas del centro histórico madrileño (1945-2015)"](http://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/cuadgeo/article/view/3825/5143). *Cuadernos Geográficos*. **55** (2): 238–264. Granada: [Editorial Universidad de Granada](/source/University_of_Granada). [ISSN 0210-5462](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0210-5462)
- Gea Ortigas, María Isabel (2012). *Los nombres de las calles de Madrid*. Madrid: Ediciones La Librería. ISBN 978-84-9873-182-8.
- Nieto Codina, Aurelio (2010). ["Espacios públicos recientemente remodelados en el casco antiguo de Madrid (2006-2011) : la Plaza de Las Cortes y la Plaza del Callao"](http://e-spacio.uned.es/fez/eserv/bibliuned:ETFSerieVI-2010-3085/Documento.pdf). *Espacio, Tiempo y Forma. Serie VI, Geografía*. '***(3). Madrid: [Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia](/source/Universidad_Nacional_de_Educaci%C3%B3n_a_Distancia). [doi:10.5944/etfvi.3.2010.2614](https://doi.org/10.5944/etfvi.3.2010.2614). [ISSN 1130-2968](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1130-2968)***

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Callao Square](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callao_Square) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callao_Square?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.