Plaza Grande

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About Plaza Grande

The Plaza Grande, officially Plaza de la Independencia, is the heart of Quito's Centro Histórico since the city's founding. It is a tree-lined square with benches, shoeshiners, ice-cream vendors and locals chatting, surrounded by the buildings of civil and religious power. In the center stands the Monument to the Heroes of August 10, 1809, commemorating the first cry of independence in Spanish America.

On the south side is the Metropolitan Cathedral, built from 1562 and renovated over the centuries, with green-tiled domes. Inside are works from the Escola Quitenha, the city's colonial painting and sculpture tradition, and the mausoleum of Marshal Antonio José de Sucre, a hero of independence. The terrace and the museum visit offer views of the square from above.

On the west side is the Palacio de Carondelet, the Presidency's seat, with its white colonnade and guided visits on set days and times. On the north side, the Palacio Arcebispal has inner courtyards with shops and cafés, and on the east side stands the Palacio Municipal.

From the square, the streets García Moreno, Venezuela and Chile lead to La Compañía, to San Francisco, to La Ronda and to the Basílica del Voto, all within a few blocks.