Fodor's Expert Review Plaza de Oriente

This stately semicircular plaza, sandwiched between the Palacio Real and the Teatro Real (Royal Theater), is flanked by massive statues of Spanish monarchs that were meant to be mounted atop the palace. Queen Isabel Farnesio, one of the first royals to live in the palace, had them removed because she was afraid their enormous weight would bring the roof down. (That's the official reason; according to local lore, the queen wanted the statues removed because her own likeness wouldn't have been placed front and center.) A Velázquez drawing of King Felipe IV is the inspiration for the statue in the plaza's center. It's the first equestrian bronze ever cast with a rearing horse. The sculptor, Italian artist Pietro Tacca, enlisted Galileo Galilei's help in configuring the statue's weight so it wouldn't tip over. The 2021 overhaul of Plaza de España eliminated all car traffic between Plaza de Oriente and Plaza de España and added pleasant footpaths and fountains.