GARCIGRANDE PALACE

Plaza de los Bandos, located north of Plaza Mayor, is one of Salamanca's most emblematic and central spaces. Its origin lies in the old cattle pen that formed in the Middle Ages around the church of Santo Tomé. Thanks to its spaciousness and privileged location, it soon became an attractive place for the local aristocracy, who erected some of the town's most important palaces in its surroundings.

During the Late Middle Ages, around the church of Santo Tomé, imposing fortified houses with large towers began to be erected, serving as residences for the nobles of the Bando de Santo Tomé, violently opposed to the Bando de San Benito. Today, the vestiges of that era are reduced to the facade of Doña María la Brava's house. This figure is remembered for the bloody conflict between the Enríquez de Sevilla and the Manzano families, an episode that ended with the death of several children from both families, leaving a deep mark on Salamanca's history.

In the 16th century, the nobility transformed their old fortified houses into splendid Renaissance palaces, of which the Garcigrande Palace, though much altered, and some elements of the Solís Palace, still remain. The importance of this space is attested by the fact that the wedding of Prince Philip, future Philip II, with Doña María de Portugal was celebrated there in 1543. The princess stayed at the Palacio de los Solís.

The Plaza began to take on its current appearance from the mid-19th century, following the demolition of the church of Santo Tomé in 1856. From then on, Plaza de Santo Tomé was renamed Plaza de los Bandos. The square was landscaped and a fountain was placed in the center. It continued to be a place of great activity; bullocks were still run, it was the location for stalls at the Botijeros and September fairs, and it was a frequent setting for popular festivals and shows, such as the first cinematograph screenings seen by the people of Salamanca.

The 20th century brought about the transformation of this square, which ceased to be a residence for the noble elites and became the center of the city's economic life. The Bank of Spain, the Savings Bank, and Banca Cobaleda replaced the old palaces. The Solís Palace has had different uses and today is the Historical Memory Documentation Center, which hosts temporary exhibitions.

In 1921, a marble bust of the comunero Francisco Maldonado was placed there, which is now installed in the Alto del Rollo roundabout. On the north side of the square, next to the Garcigrande Palace, Carmen Martín Gaite was born and lived. Today, the plot where her house once stood is the headquarters of a financial institution. Nevertheless, her memory lives on in the sculpture installed in the square in 2000, just opposite the place that was her home.