Plaza del Cordón

Plaza del Cordón is a small historic square from the 16th century located between Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Villa, traversed by the street of the same name, in the old part of the city that is known as the “Madrid de los Austrias” (Hapsburg Madrid).

An historic square that retains its spirit with a singular medieval layout and, despite the rehabilitation work it has undergone, vestiges of the architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries. The site on which numbers 2 and 3 of the square now stand was once occupied by  Cordón Palace, a Renaissance palace that was a reference for the stately homes in the vicinity of Plaza Mayor.

The Casa del Cordón (as it is referred to by the College of Architects of Madrid) opposite, stands at number 1 of the square, thus called because of the decoration on its façade, an ancient stone cord. With its simple and balanced line, this restored 18th century building has been turned into flats. The ground floor is at the front of this two-storey building, while it gains height at the sides to compensate for the unevenness of the streets. The jamb so characteristic of Madrid’s baroque style and the symmetrical arrangement of openings, balconies and grilles are particularly noteworthy.

On the corner of the square, on what is today Calle del Doctor Letamendi, once stood the former 16th century palace of Iván de Vargas where, as tradition would have it, the patron saint of the city, San Isidro, worked as a servant. The space was renovated to make way for the current Iván Perez de Vargas Library, which retains original features from the previous construction as part of its Renaissance courtyard.

Other outstanding buildings in the vicinity are the Casa de Cisneros building, an example of the architecture of the 16th century, the rear of the Convent of las Carboneras, in the 17th century Baroque style, and the Basilica of San Miguel from the 18th century.

Updated: 29/01/2019