The structure of the Plaza Mayor (Main Square) is a typical product of the Spanish urban tradition as exemplified by main squares all over Spain, and it also satisfies the need that the city first felt at the beginning of the 17th century, for new premises to accommodate both commerce and the celebration of public events.
In 1710, during the War of Succession, the Magistrate Rodrigo Cabalero, showed his plans and received the necessary permit for the construction of the Plaza Mayor. Alberto de Chrriguera, architect, was entrusted with the project. He conceived the Square as a square space, but it could not be finished as such, so its sides are not the same length, even though they may seem to be. Construction began on the eastern part, Pabellon Real (Royal Pavilion), May 10, 1729. In 1733, that stretch and the southern wing (San Martin) were completed. Because of problems with necessary expropriations, the work could not be concluded until 1755 due to the intervention of the then-reining monarch, Fernando VI.
Built in the 18th century, in the Baroque style, the northern facade is mostly bounded by the Town Hall (Ayuntamiento), the work of Andres Garcia de Quiones. It is finished off with a bell gable from the mid-19th century. The architecture of the Main Square rises up on porticoes formed by eighty-eight rounded arches supported on solid columns. The arches are all different, even though they may look alike. The spaces between the arches are decorated with medallions. Above them rise three floors with iron balconies which enclose most of the entire square. The magnificence of the entrance to the square from the Plaza de la Verdura (the market) is enhanced by the Arco del Toro (Arch of the Bull).
The Square is a Mediterranean Agora, a meeting place where they held and continue to hold all kinds of public demonstrations and events. Well-travelled writer Ilia Ehrenburg said that the Square "whirls, buzzes and sings." Shops and restaurants surround the Square. One may take a seat on the terrace at one of the cafes... a perfect and comfortable vantage point to observe the crowd of passers-by. The Plaza Mayor of Salamanca is always alive -- a place where everyone fits in, a place for people to meet and chat, or a place to just take a relaxed stroll