The Plaza de la Constitución Malaga, is one of the most emblematic of the city, throughout history it has had several names and various uses. If you want to know in depth the history of the square and its curiosities, do not miss this article.
Constitution Square Malaga history
The Plaza de la Constitución in Malaga has been considered the main public space since the Nasrid period in the 15th century. The popular name of the square was the four streets, as the four main avenues of the city converged in this square.
It was later renamed Plaza de la Constitución in 1812, in honour of the Spanish Constitution that was approved that same year in Cadiz and popularly known as “La Pepa”.
Finally, it had other names such as Plaza de la libertad, Plaza del 14 de abril or Plaza de Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera. With the reinstatement of democracy in Spain, again acquired the name of Plaza de la Constitución.
Constitution Square Malaga curiosities
Plaza de la Constitución in Malaga as a bullring.
A very curious fact is that the first bullfight that was held in Malaga was in the Plaza De La Constitución. It took place on January 6, 1492, just two days after the capture of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs.
It should be remembered that Malaga had been reconquered only 5 years earlier in 1487 after seven centuries of Moorish rule. The news of the capture of Granada spread like wildfire and the city of Malaga rushed to prepare the bullfight.
If you have been to the Plaza De La Constitución in Malaga before, you might not imagine that it was a bullring, but you have to understand that it was a temporary bullring, that is, it was assembled and disassembled when bullfighting events were held.
The Plaza de la Constitución was closed with wooden planks that were hastily built by the carpenters of Malaga in only 2 days. The curious thing is that as the town hall did not have a place to store these planks, it was the neighbours themselves who kept them until the next bullfight.
The famous Calle Larios was not called this way in the past, but was known as La Calle Toril, as it was from this place where the bulls were kept and accessed the Plaza from there.
As you can imagine, the public was organized by social classes. The higher classes of society occupied the different balconies of the square, in fact in the facade of the economic society of Malaga you can still see the original balconies as well as in the convent of Las Agustinas.
The lower classes of society were trying to make a place for themselves behind the wooden planks.
As a last curious fact, we will tell you that in the old days bullfighting was not like today, but at that time the bullfighter was always mounted on horseback.
Did you know that there was a prison in the Plaza De La Constitución in Malaga?
Before explaining the history of the prison we must explain the location of the prison, which was located on the corner of Plaza de La Constitución and Calle Granada where the Stradivarius store is currently located.
This project was an initiative of the Catholic Monarchs and the prison was inaugurated in the 15th century and remained in that location until the 19th century, when the poor conditions and overcrowding caused the prisoners to be moved and the use of the building as a prison was abandoned.
Do not imagine a prison as it is today, for example there were some bars that communicated the prison with the street and sometimes the prisoners could chat with passers-by.
To promote good behaviour among the prisoners, some of them were rewarded by being allowed to watch the bullfights through the bars.
Another very curious fact about the prison in the Plaza de la Constitución in Malaga is that the menu consisted of water broth with vegetables and hard bread but the prisoners had the option of paying extra to eat higher quality food.
Many of the prisoners were condemned to the gallows which was not in this place but in the Plaza de La Marina. When someone was condemned to be hanged, the citizens gathered in the square to see it and sometimes the heads of the executed were placed on pikes scattered around the city to raise awareness among the population.
Town Hall in Plaza Constitución Málaga
Not only the prison, the bullring or the main political and social events were held in the Plaza de la Constitución or Plaza de las cuatro calles, but the Town Hall itself was located here until 1869.
The building was on the same side of the square as the prison that we mentioned before, which is currently Stradivarius between this building and the Economic Society of Malaga.
Nowadays, we can find the Town Hall of Malaga in the Paseo del Parque, next to the emblematic post office building and the rectorate of the University of Malaga.
Connection between the Plaza De La Constitución and the Holy Week in Malaga.
All the Easter processions pass through the square. To give you an idea of the importance of this, the price of renting a balcony during the whole Semana Santa can reach 7.000€.
Another curiosity of the Semana Santa in Malaga is that in the processions do not parade the steps but they are called thrones and unlike in other cities, the people who parade go to the sides of the thrones and not underneath.
Plaza de la Constitución Malaga events
Currently, all kinds of events are held in the Plaza de la Constitución in Malaga.
- During Christmas, it becomes one of the main points to see the lighting of the lights of Larios Street.
- As we have mentioned before, it is a very emblematic place of the Holy Week in Malaga.
- On New Year’s Eve, it is the place where the people of Malaga gather to eat the grapes to usher in the new year.
We hope you liked our article, and if you want to know many more anecdotes and curiosities about the square, do not miss our free tour in Spanish.
