Quito Attractions
Quito's Plaza Grande
Plaza de la Independencia
The square, also known as Plaza Grande, has always been the
heart of the city, and as the hub of the old centre it is the best
place to sit and people-watch. Around the square are the Cathedral,
the City Hall, the Government Palace and the Archbishop's Palace,
the most notable municipal and religious buildings in the city. The
cathedral, the oldest church in South America, is one of the city's
most impressive historical and architectural sites. Both the
Government Palace and the cathedral were scenes of shocking
murders; in 1875 President García Moreno was murdered by
machete, and in 1877 Bishop of Quito was poisoned during a Good
Friday Mass.
