It is one of the most significant examples of the urban geography of the old Badajoz. The framework of the Arab city, developed radially from the Plaza Alta and the Alcazaba, opened in frequent small squares many of them disappeared long ago.

However the plaza, as we know it today, is relatively modern since its center was occupied until the end of the 19th by the old church of San Andrés. This left in ruins, moved to the nearby Convent of the mother of God, occupying the same Chapel. The current design of the square dates from 1870. The marble floor was made with materials and by Portuguese workers in the year 1888.

The Center is occupied by a small garden and a fountain recoleta, adorandos by a statue of Miguel de Cervantes, in 1932 by the sculptor Aurelio Cabrera. The square, hosts in addition to this church, several buildings protected valuable monuments, such as the Casa Puebla and the current Hotel Cervantes.