Plaza de Santa Ana is one of the most famous plazas in Madrid, with a variety of businesses and other points of interest that attract a lot of people to it. The area occupied by the plaza today used to be the site of the Convent of Santa Ana, also known as Convento de las Carmelitas Decalzas, which had been built during the sixteenth century.
In 1810, José I ordered the destruction of the convent and adjoining houses in order to create a plaza with a garden and to start the urban sanitation of the area.
There are a number of notable buildings and businesses in the plaza.
Index
Teatro Español
Formerly known as Teatro del Príncipe, Teatro Español is a neoclassical building designed by architect Román Guerrero, built between the years of 1887 and 1895. Managed by Ayuntamiento de Madrid, the theatre presents dance shows, concerts and plays.
Teatro Español is located at Carrer del Príncipe, 25.
La Suiza
Founded during the nineteenth century, La Suiza has become a popular café/restaurant where visitors can enjoy delicious dishes and sweets and pastries like croissants, ice cream, leche merengada and the typical holiday sweets like roscon de reyes.
La Suiza is located at Plaza de Santa Ana, 2.
Cerveceria Alemana
In the beginning of the twentieth century, a group of German manufacturers opened a bar exclusively dedicated to beer tasting. Throughout the years, Cerveceria Alemana became a popular place among important national and international personalities, having received visits from members of the American embassy, Dominguín, a famous bullfighter, and author Ernest Hemingway.
Still a favorite place of many, Cerveceria Alemana is located at Plaza Santa Ana 6.
Hotel Reina Victoria
Also known as Gran Hotel Reina Victoria, Hotel Reina Victoria was designed by architect Jesús Carrasco-Muñoz y Encina between 1919 and 1923, featuring an eclectic style with modernist details. Founded in October of 2006, the luxury hotel offers high-class accommodation and a refined culinary experience at the hotel‘s restaurant.
Hotel Reina Victoria is located at Plaza de Santa Ana, 14.
There are also famous statues in the plaza, like the monument to Calderón de la Barca, a Spanish catholic priest, author and knight of the Order of Santiago, and the monument to Federico García Lorca, a Spanish poet, playwright and theatre director who was murdered in 1936.
Plaza de Santa Ana is a popular place among locals and tourists, who come to take a stroll, take photographs, meet their friends or play with their children.
