Plaza de España

About this place

Created for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, this monumental plaza presents an early 20th-century vision of Spain's history. Its architecture mixes Renaissance, Baroque and Mudéjar revival forms. Follow the long curve of the building to appreciate its theatrical scale and decorative detail. The design belongs to a revival movement that borrowed from earlier Spanish architecture to create a modern exhibition setting. This explains why the plaza can appear much older than it is. Viewing it with its 1929 purpose in mind reveals how the past was selected and restaged for an international audience.