Plaçeta Vieja

The Plaçeta Vieja is one of the most charming corners of Monroyo. It is a small, elongated square that forms a curious meeting point of the streets Llana, Santo Domingo, Collado and Gigantes, as well as the street del Hostal and that of Llana. This interesting intersection arises from the medieval urban structure of the village; a hillside settlement with a raised central nucleus and streets that run longitudinally through the fabric, curving along the relief of the promontory and meeting each other diagonally, with few cross streets.

In the Plaçeta one can appreciate some houses of artistic and architectural interest, such as the casa Caldú and the Hostal. The first (located on the corner with the street Collado) is where, according to popular tradition, the Order of Calatrava received the tithes. The Hostal is a manor house with Gothic and Renaissance elements that preserves the noble coat of arms, probably belonging to the Count Borrás, on the façade. Subsequently, and until the mid-1960s, it operated as a hostal, from which it takes its popular name.

During the Spanish Civil War, the Francoist troops, commanded by General Camilo Alonso Vega, established their headquarters in this building when they occupied Monroyo on 1 April 1938. The war front hit this area hard, with fierce fighting and continuous bombing by the air force.