Plaza de la Independencia - Quito, Ecuador
S 00° 13.210 W 078° 30.740
17M E 776900 N 9975641
Also called La Plaza Grande, this became the main square of Quito in the 16th century. Afraid the Incas might poison their water supply, the Spanish set up their own protected well here, and this plaza subsequently became the social center of town.
Waymark Code: WMM0D4
Location: Ecuador
Date Posted: 06/26/2014
Views: 6
Also called La Plaza Grande, this became the main square of Quito in the 16th century. Afraid the Incas might poison their water supply, the Spanish set up their own protected well here, and this plaza subsequently became the social center of town.
After many petitions by the municipal authorities, Ecuadorian President Eloy Alfaro ordered the construction in the Plaza of a monument to commemorate the centenary of the "first cry of independence". A French sculpture was commissioned in 1898 and placed in the center of the square, replacing the fountain which was moved to the southwest of the square. In a public ceremony in 1906, the President and Mayor unveiled the "Independence Monument" and changed the colonial name ("Plaza Grande") to "Plaza de la Independencia". Since then only minor changes have been made in the square, which retains its centrality in the national consciousness.
It also served as a central market and bullfighting area. Today, Old Town's main square is bordered by the Government Palace to the west, City Hall to the east, the Archbishop's Palace to the north, and the cathedral to the south.
Name: Plaza de la Independencia
Street Location: Valenzuela
Local Municipality: Quito
State/Province, etc.: Quito
Country: Ecuador
Web Site: [Web Link]
Monuments/Statues: monument to commemorate the centenary of the "first cry of independence"
Memorial/Commemoration: Not listed
Date Established: Not listed
Picnic Facilities: Not listed
Recreational Facilities: Not listed
Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): Not listed
Fountains: Not listed
Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: Not listed
Special Events: Not listed
Traditional Geocaches: Not listed
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