Plaza de Oriente is a rectangular square of curved header, of monumental character, whose final layout responds to a design in 1844 by Pascual y Colomer. One of its main proponents was King Joseph Bonaparte, who ordered the demolition of the medieval houses located on its site.

Statues of the Gothic kings in the Plaza de Oriente.Plaza de Oriente is rectangular, although his head located to east, forming a closed curve, headed by the Teatro Real. It can distinguish three main plots: the Central Gardens, the Cabo Noval Gardens and the Lepanto Gardens.

The Central Gardens are arranged around the central monument to Philip IV, in a grid, following the barroque model garden. They consist of seven flowerbeds, each packed with box hedges, forms of cypress, yew and magnolia of small size, and flower plantations, temporary. These are bounded on either side by rows of statues paths, popularly known as the Gothic kings, acting as line of division of the other two quadrants.

The square houses a sculpture collection of twenty Spanish kings corresponding to five Visigoth kings and fifteen kings of the early Christians kingdoms in the Reconquista. These statues, made of limestone, are distributed in two rows that cross the recint toward east-west, on both sides of the Central Gardens. Known popularly as the «Gothic kings», mark the dividing line between the main body of the plaza and the Cabo Noval Gardens at north, and the Lepanto Gardens at south. The group of statues is part of a series dedicated to all monarchs of Spain, ordered to make for the decoration of the Royal Palace of Madrid during the reign of Ferdinand VI. Were executed between 1750 and 1753.

Visitors to Spain's capital city are often puzzled to discover that the Plaza de Oriente is located in the west of Madrid, while its name suggests an eastern setting. However, it lies on the east side of the Palacio Real, and that is why it is so named.

Juan Bautista Sachetti, who designed the Palacio Real, had plans to build a large square in front of the palace in the 18th century. However, the plans were not realised until King Joseph I, Napoleon Bonaparte's brother, ruled Spain from 1808 to 1813. The unplanned scrabble of houses then occupying the eastern side of the palace, some 56 in total, which included a church and several convents, as well as a library, were cleared for the project.

In a city that never sleeps where hustle and bustle is an integral part of everyday life, Plaza de Oriente is a haven of peace and tranquility. The landscaped gardens are enclosed in a kind of semi-circular design. It's a leafy area with plants and trees beside broad walkways, one of which is lined with the statues of Spanish kings from the medieval period.

Taking centre stage of Plaza de Oriente is a huge statue of Felipe IV astride a horse that was modeled from an art piece by Veláquez. It stands on a large pedestal and is indeed a striking sculpture.

Its designer, Pietro Tacca, was afraid that the rearing horse could not be balanced properly, and that it would fall forward under its own weight. The famous Italian astronomer, Galileo Galilei, came to his rescue by suggesting that the front rearing part of the sculpture should be hollow, and therefore relatively light, with the back part solid to anchor the weight.

Plaza de Oriente was not finished in its present form until the reign of Isabel II. During this time the Teatro Real, the Royal Theatre, was also built opposite the palace on the east side of the square.

Plaza de Oriente is a very popular place with visitors to the city, as well as with local people. Any visit to Madrid should not be considered complete without a trip to this grand spacious plaza. There are many cafés that line the area where the visitor may rest a while and absorb the atmosphere, perhaps the most famous one being the Café de Oriente, which has a marvelous terrace to sit outside and enjoy the spectacular views of the square.

Getting to Plaza de Oriente is easy. It is a short walk from Plaza de España, and the nearest Metro is Opera, and bus numbers 3, 15 and 20 will take you there. You can get there via flight to Madrid.