| Plaza de Isabel II | |
|---|---|
 "Opera Square" after its 2011 remodeling | |
 | |
| Location | Madrid,Spain |
| Coordinates | 40°25′05″N3°42′34″W / 40.41806°N 3.70944°W /40.41806; -3.70944 |
ThePlaza de Isabel II (also known as Plaza de Ópera) is a historic public square between theSol andPalacio wards in thecentral district of Madrid.[1] The plaza is at the convergence ofArenal Street [ es] (from thePuerta del Sol) and the minor roads Arrieta,Calle de Campomanes [es], Caños del Peral, Escalinata and Vergara. It was formed by filling the ravine created by the Arenal stream and the source of theFountain of the Canals of the Pear Tree. The square occupies part of the site where the oldTheater of the Caños del Peral [es] stood between 1738 and 1817.[2]
TheTeatro Real opera house, which sits on the western edge of the plaza, was ordered to be constructed byIsabel II for whom the plaza is now named.[3]
In theMiddle Ages, a ravine formed by Madrid's Arenal stream served as a natural defensive moat on the edge of theChristian wall, near theValnadú Gate [es]. Some remains of the ravine are preserved in the adjacent roads, as is the tower of theStairway Street [es]. Between the 15th and 18th centuries, this space was known as the "Caños del Peral"[4] and is thought to be the source of theWalls del Arrabal.[5]
After the 1868Glorious Revolution, the square was calledPlaza de Prim, afterJuan Prim, although it was popularly known as "Plaza del Barranco" due to the depression formed by the slope of Arenal Street and theCostanilla de los Ángeles [es]. Thesegullies would be later filled during the reign ofIsabel II when theRoyal Theater was built.[citation needed]
Also in 1868, a statue of Isabel II, commissioned byManuel López Santaella [es], and made by sculptorJosé Piquer Duart [es], was placed in the center of the square. A year later, the statue was taken down and placed in the Royal Theater. It was replaced by an allegorical sculpture ofComedy by sculptor Francisco Elías Vallejo. The statue of Isabel II was returned to the square in 1905.[6]
In Pedro Teixeira's 1656 workTopographia de la Villa de Madrid [es], theFountain of the Canals of the Pear Tree appears. A spring that supplied the primitive medieval "qanats" and as a water source for theroyal palace was covered over in 1809.[7] Eventually, the entire area was developed, filling in the area around the Arenal ravine. The area facing the Royal Palace was also developed and is now thePlaza de Oriente. The fountain was rediscovered in 1990 with the remodeling of theÓpera station of theLine 2 of the Madrid Metro.[8] Between 2008 and 2011, the space underwent a new renovation, which left interesting archaeological remains of thehistoric Madrid water system [es] on display.[9]
In 1980, the plaza was featured in the opening scene of theFernando Trueba filmÓpera prima.[10]
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