Plaza Grande

Independence Square (Spanish: Plaza de la Independencia, or colloquially as Plaza Grande) is the principal and central public square of Quito, Ecuador. This is the central square of the city and one of the symbols of the executive power of the nation. Its main feature is the monument to the independence heroes of August 10, 1809, date remembered as the First Cry of Independence of the Royal Audience of Quito from spanish monarchy. The square is flanked by the Carondelet Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace, the Municipal Palace and the Plaza Grande Hotel.

The square is surrounded by the following four streets: Calle Venezuela (east), Calle Chile (north), Calle Gabriel García Moreno (west) and the pedestrian segment of Calle Eugenio Espejo (south).

Although the first colonial town square was what today is known as Plazoleta Benalcázar, this has always been considered as tentative as it got up a path suitable for novice Spanish town of Quito. It was only in the 17th century, in the year 1612, when the powers of the city moved to the area around the Plaza Grande, they decided to call this way for being the largest at the time.

Initially it was just an esplanade of packed dirt that was placed in a water source to supply the vital liquid to the neighbors. Being larger than the tentative square, and unemployed land still be around, some institutions decided to stand on its flanks. Thus the Catholic Church acquired land in the north and south sides, where they built the main temple of the city (Cathedral of Quito) and the headquarters of the archdiocese (Archbishop's Palace).

One of the founders of the city, the Captain Juan de Díaz Hidalgo, reserved to himself a lot on the corner of the square near the Archbishop's Palace, where he built his home (the only private building that endures to this day) that palace would later be called Palacio Hidalgo. Other families, also founders of the town, occupied the western end, but after the earthquake of 1627, were overturned by the serious damage that occurred in structures, and instead built the Palacio de Carondelet.

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