The Plaques in the Plaza de la Hispanidad in Medina del Campo

Each plaque refers to the place occupied by a certain guild at the time of the fair

The Plaza de la Hispanidad in Medina del Campo, as well as being the largest square in our country, «hides» a curiosity: a series of plaques on the ground. If you don’t know what these plaques are, we recommend you read on.

The current Plaza de la Hispanidad in Medina del Campo – its Plaza Mayor of yesteryear – is the largest in Spain. In total, 14,000 square metres. But what makes it really unique is that, between the 15th and 16th centuries, it was a place of international attraction thanks to its international fair.

For weeks, Medina del Campo was transformed into a great multicoloured market; a veritable tower of Babel where everything was bought and sold, different languages were spoken and large amounts of money were moved. What’s more, the transactions had no value until the priest had finished the rite.

© Photo: Forelatos.

Consequently, such a large space had to be regulated in some way. And hence the existence of those plaques that you can see on the ground if you visit the square; each guild had its own reserved space. Thus, this space separated hawkers, jewellers, spice sellers… In other words, all the professions that offered their products or services there. The plaques on the floor indicate the space occupied by each of the guilds and their distribution in the square.

And if you want to experience the atmosphere of Medina del Campo in the 16th century, we invite you to visit it in August. This is the ideal opportunity to travel back in time without having to leave the 16th century.