Recently remodelled and reserved for pedestrians, this huge square has now become a pleasant place to walk, particularly on summer evenings. In the centre of the gardens, peopled with statues of the Visigoth kings, stands a magnificent equestrian statue of Philip IV, the work of Pietro Tacca (17C). The real institution on the square is not the Royal Palace, but the venerable Café de Oriente, the setting of which alone justifies a visit!