Plaza de la Constituci贸n (Constitution Square), San Sebastian (must see)
When San Sebasti谩n fell in September 1813, the surrender of French commander Louis Emmanuel Rey might have seemed the end of the city鈥檚 ordeal. But what followed was worse: British and Portuguese troops set the town ablaze for seven days, leaving only a few walls upright and a memory seared into the collective conscience. Out of those ashes, however, came a new San Sebasti谩n, and at the very core of its reinvention rose Constitution Square-a showpiece of order after chaos.
Architect Ugartemend铆a gave the square its disciplined look in 1817, laying it out with clean neoclassical lines on the site of a more modest plaza from 1723. Twenty arches along the long sides and nine along the short formed the base for three stories of balconies, each neatly numbered. But those numbers weren鈥檛 for postmen-they were seats for bullfights, as Constitution Square doubled as the city鈥檚 arena. For decades, residents cheered from their numbered boxes as if attending the most organized blood sport in Europe.
Eventually, the bulls retired, and the square鈥檚 role shifted. The elegant neoclassical building that once housed City Hall is now the Municipal Library, while the flamboyant Gran Casino of 1887 became the new home of the council. Between them lies a plaza that traded gore for gatherings: concerts, markets, and parades took over the stage once reserved for bulls and matadors.
Today, Constitution Square wears its history lightly. The numbered balconies remain, silent witnesses to past spectacles, while the arcades below buzz with caf茅s, flower vendors, and chatter. Each January 20, the square shakes to the sound of the Tamborrada drum festival, and in December, the air fills with the aroma of chistorra during Saint Thomas Day. Once a bullring, now a living room, it has become the city鈥檚 most eloquent reminder that even ruins can be rebuilt into rhythm and celebration.
Architect Ugartemend铆a gave the square its disciplined look in 1817, laying it out with clean neoclassical lines on the site of a more modest plaza from 1723. Twenty arches along the long sides and nine along the short formed the base for three stories of balconies, each neatly numbered. But those numbers weren鈥檛 for postmen-they were seats for bullfights, as Constitution Square doubled as the city鈥檚 arena. For decades, residents cheered from their numbered boxes as if attending the most organized blood sport in Europe.
Eventually, the bulls retired, and the square鈥檚 role shifted. The elegant neoclassical building that once housed City Hall is now the Municipal Library, while the flamboyant Gran Casino of 1887 became the new home of the council. Between them lies a plaza that traded gore for gatherings: concerts, markets, and parades took over the stage once reserved for bulls and matadors.
Today, Constitution Square wears its history lightly. The numbered balconies remain, silent witnesses to past spectacles, while the arcades below buzz with caf茅s, flower vendors, and chatter. Each January 20, the square shakes to the sound of the Tamborrada drum festival, and in December, the air fills with the aroma of chistorra during Saint Thomas Day. Once a bullring, now a living room, it has become the city鈥檚 most eloquent reminder that even ruins can be rebuilt into rhythm and celebration.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in San Sebastian. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Plaza de la Constituci贸n (Constitution Square) on Map
Sight Name: Plaza de la Constituci贸n (Constitution Square)
Sight Location: San Sebastian, Spain (See walking tours in San Sebastian)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: San Sebastian, Spain (See walking tours in San Sebastian)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in San Sebastian, Spain
Create Your Own Walk in San Sebastian
Creating your own self-guided walk in San Sebastian is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Mount Urgull Walking Tour
Mount Urgull is a promontory stretching out at the eastern end of La Concha Bay, surrounded by water on all sides, except the one linking it to the Old Town of San Sebastian. Historically, this mount, rising 123 meters above sea level, served as a strategic defense point for the city, attesting to which now are the remnants of old fortifications with cannons still in place.
From its elevated... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
From its elevated... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
San Sebastian Introduction Walking Tour
After watching bulls run around in Pamplona, Ernest Hemingway took a relaxing trip up north. He enjoyed the calmness of the shoreline so much that he vividly described it in his novel The Sun Also Rises. The city that appealed to Hemingway was San Sebasti谩n-known in Basque as Donostia.
The city takes its name from Saint Sebastian, the early Christian martyr whose cult spread widely through... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
The city takes its name from Saint Sebastian, the early Christian martyr whose cult spread widely through... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles