Plaza de la Merced is one of the largest squares in Málaga's historic centre, a few minutes from the Alcazaba and the Roman Theatre. Pablo Picasso was born here in 1881, in the house at number 15, and a bronze Picasso now sits on a bench at the corner of the square. In the middle stands a tall obelisk that is also a tomb: General Torrijos and his companions, shot in 1831, are buried beneath it.
Plaza de la Merced at a glance
- Where: in the La Merced district, on the north-eastern edge of Málaga's old town, below the Gibralfaro hill.
- Created: an open space since Roman times and a market square from the 15th century; the obelisk dates from 1842.
- What it is today: a busy square with cafés, Picasso's birthplace museum, the Torrijos monument and the seated Picasso statue.
- The Picasso statue: bronze, by the sculptor Francisco López Hernández, unveiled in 2008.
- Time needed: 15 minutes for the square, about an hour with the birthplace museum.
From market and convent to Picasso's square
In the Middle Ages this ground lay just outside the Moorish city walls, near the gate the Christians called the Puerta de Granada. When the Catholic Monarchs took Málaga in August 1487, they entered the city here. After the conquest the open space became a market, the Plaza del Mercado, and in 1507 the Mercedarian friars built a church dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy on the square, which gave it its present name. The church burned in 1931 and was later demolished. Excavations on the north side after 2019 uncovered Roman burials and hundreds of skeletons from the time of the conquest.
In the 19th century the square became a place for promenades and public events. In 1842 a fountain in the middle was replaced by the Monument to Torrijos, an obelisk designed by Rafael Mitjana. Its crypt holds the remains of General José María Torrijos and his companions, liberals who landed near Málaga in 1831 to raise a revolt against the absolutist King Ferdinand VII and were executed by firing squad on San Andrés beach. Fifty years later, on 25 October 1881, Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born in one of the tall houses on the east side of the square.
What to look for
- Picasso's birthplace at number 15, a pale 19th-century apartment block; the family lived on the first floor, which is now part of the Casa Natal museum.
- The bronze Picasso on his bench, sketchbook in hand, with space left beside him for visitors to sit down.
- The Torrijos obelisk in the centre, with inscriptions honouring the executed liberals and a marble slab at its foot over the entrance to the crypt.
- The tall, uniform blocks on the north side, built in the late 19th century on the land of a former convent.
- The pigeons around the obelisk: Picasso's father, the painter José Ruiz Blasco, often painted them, and doves remained one of Picasso's favourite subjects.
Picasso's first years in Málaga
Picasso lived in Málaga only until he was almost ten, when the family moved to A Coruña in 1891, but his early childhood was spent around this square. His father taught drawing at the local art school and kept pigeons, and the young Pablo watched him paint them. Decades later, Picasso's dove became one of the best-known images of the 20th century. Today the birthplace museum shows family belongings, early documents and works by Picasso, and his statue on the bench has become the most photographed spot on the square.
Tips for your visit
- Take your photo with the bronze Picasso early in the morning, before a queue forms on the bench.
- Sit on one of the café terraces around the square in the late afternoon, when the light softens on the façades.
- In October, around Picasso's birthday, the city often holds events and exhibitions linked to him; check what is on.
- Combine the square with the Picasso Museum in Calle San Agustín for a full Picasso morning.
Nearby
- Picasso Museum Málaga: a large collection of Picasso's works in the Buenavista Palace, a few minutes' walk into the old town.
- Roman Theatre and Alcazaba: the 1st-century theatre and the Moorish fortress above it, a few minutes' walk south.
- Málaga Cathedral: the Renaissance cathedral with its one unfinished tower, a short walk away.
- Calle Larios: Málaga's elegant main shopping street, about ten minutes' walk.
See Málaga with World City Trail
Our Málaga scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 31 minutes of walking. Plaza de la Merced and its Picasso statue are one of the stops, along with the Roman Theatre, and at each stop you solve a puzzle and hear a story about the city. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour of Málaga and an outdoor escape game.
Play the Málaga scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Málaga →
Play the outdoor escape game in Málaga →
Facts checked in October 2026.