I stumbled upon Plaza de la Corredera during one of those wandering afternoons in Córdoba when you're not really looking for anything specific. What caught my attention first wasn't the architecture or the history—it was simply how alive the place felt compared to other Spanish squares I'd visited.

This is Andalusia's only rectangular main square, which might sound like a boring architectural detail until you're actually standing there. The uniformity is striking. Almost every building follows the same pattern: arched porticos below, wooden balconies above, creating this enclosed feeling that's both intimate and grand. It's very Castilian in style, which makes sense when you learn it was built between 1683 and 1687 following a design by architect Antonio Ramós Valdés.

The name comes from the bullfights that used to happen here. Before the current stone structure, there were wooden stands that apparently weren't very safe for spectators. The corregidor decided to rebuild everything properly, though he had to work around a couple of stubborn property owners. If you look carefully, you'll spot two buildings that break the visual harmony—the old jail (now a market) and the house belonging to Ana María Jacinto, whose owner managed to get a royal decree from Charles II to avoid demolition.

Walking around the square now, with its cafés and evening crowds, it's hard to imagine the darker chapters. This was where the Inquisition held public executions and autos de fe. The last execution took place in 1838, and bullfights continued until 1846 when the city built a proper bullring.

In the 1950s, they demolished an old market building that occupied much of the square's center. During the excavation, workers found Roman mosaics underneath—including one depicting Polyphemus and Galatea that's quite beautiful. Most of these mosaics ended up in the Alcázar, though it makes you wonder what else might be buried beneath your feet as you sit with a drink.

The square went through a major restoration that finished in 2001, and it shows. The stonework looks crisp, maybe too crisp in places, but the atmosphere hasn't suffered. Evening is the best time here, when the terraces fill up and the lighting brings out the warm tones of the buildings. There's even a new light installation on one of the historic facades that visitors can control through a mobile app—a nice modern touch that doesn't feel intrusive.