Teatro Español

Facing the Plaza de Santa Ana in the literary Barrio de las Letras, this is one of the oldest theatres in Madrid, with roots in a sixteenth-century open-air corral de comedias. Rebuilt several times, the present neoclassical building presents classical and contemporary Spanish drama and is run by the city. Its façade bears busts of great Spanish playwrights, reflecting its place in the nation's dramatic heritage. The surrounding square, tied to writers such as Cervantes and Lope de Vega, is one of the liveliest social spaces in the old city.