The Plaza de Cervantes is not only a meeting point for tourists and locals of Alcalá, but also a gathering point for much of the heritage and culture of this great city. Renovated around 1930 by Esteban Azaña, in one of its most central areas it houses one of the corrales de comedias awarded with a National Prize (2013, the 10th National Award for the Recovery of Theatrical Heritage "Gregorio Arcos"), but it doesn't only stand out for that — it's also one of the oldest in Europe that preserves its structure and most important parts.
As mentioned, the Corral de Comedias of Alcalá, originally known as the "Corral de Zapateros" (Shoemakers' Yard), is located in what was the old Plaza del Mercado, today's Plaza de Cervantes. It was a former neighbors' patio rebuilt in 1601 by Francisco Sánchez, a city carpenter who received the commission from the City Council, which was tired of having to carry out the works on the public street. A year later it opened its doors and adapted over time to the era and the reforms of the predominant style of the moment.
Belonging to its first stage as Corral de Comedias are the cobblestoned patio, the stands, the chambers and the cazuela (the area reserved for high-born ladies). In the 18th century it was transformed into a neoclassical coliseum when its patio was roofed with a dome supported by a framework of beams that improved the acoustics and made it an ideal space for small-format singing performances and chamber orchestras. In the 19th century, its Romantic stage, the old roof was sealed with a painting on plaster and the boxes were built, redistributed across two floors in an ellipse around the old cobblestoned patio, which was thus turned into the orchestra. Finally, in the early 20th century, with the cinematographic revolution, a projection screen was installed to convert it into a cinema ("Cine Cervantes" or "small cinema"), and as such it remained until the 1970s. Abandoned for several decades after it stopped being profitable as a business, it was about to be torn down, but in the 1980s — with institutional funding — a slow and rigorous restoration began at the hands of the famous José María Pérez González, better known as Peridis, lasting until 2003, when the Corral de Comedias re-emerged, harmoniously integrating into its architecture the three styles that marked its entire previous history. Since January 10, 2005, at the request of the Ministry of Culture, the Fundación Teatro de La Abadía has taken charge of its management and programming.
As you can see this is no ordinary theater — its boards still echo with the voices of Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca (residents of Alcalá for a time). But not only they walked these stages. One female name stands out: María la Calderona — sound familiar? Exactly, the woman who gave birth to the bastard son of King Felipe IV (Juan José de Austria) and who has a balcony in our beloved Plaza Mayor. She performed several times in this corral, and her beloved lover was always close to her — so close that he had a small balcony built for himself on one side of the very stage.
If you'd like to know more about this World Heritage city, don't miss our Alcalá de Henares World Heritage tour, Tuesday to Thursday and Saturdays at 18:00. We'll be waiting for you!