Opposite to the main façade of the Palace spreads a rectangular square, limited at the three other sides with houses on arches. There are about 70 columns and balconies.With 6.862 square meters it is one of the biggest squares of Spain, being the Duke's pride in his time.The all-powerful Duke of Lerma, plenipotentiary minister of the monarch Felipe III, turned the town into a recreational court. It was a very select meeting place for illustrious personages and a handful of the best-known artists of the time.The plaza was the ideal frame for the private feasts, comedies (Lope de Vega presented here theatrical works). There were also corridas by noblemen on horses ("rejones"). And it was and still is the market place.