Plaza de Oriente is a central square located in front of the east façade of the Royal Palace in one of the city’s patrimonial ensembles that includes such outstanding elements as the Teatro Real Opera House, La Almudena Cathedral, the Sabatini Gardens and Plaza de la Encarnación. A rectangular square ending in a semi-circle, whose definitive layout was designed by Narciso Pascual y Colomer in 1844. The square was most recently remodelled in 1997 under the guidance of Miguel de Oriol who transformed the square into an urban space of great quality and turned the nearby Calle Bailén and other side streets into pedestrian areas. There are three separate spaces: the central parterre which unfolds around the famous equestrian sculptural ensemble of Philip IV, and the gardens of Cabo Noval and of Lepanto, located on both sides.