Plaza de Cagancha

Plaza de Cagancha, or Plaza Cagancha, also known as Plaza Libertad, is a square of the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo. It is located on Montevideo's main avenue, 18 de Julio Avenue, in the barrio of Centro.[1]

Plaza de Cagancha
Plaza
Coordinates: 34°54′21″S 56°11′29″W
Country Uruguay
DepartmentMontevideo Department
CityMontevideo
BarrioCentro

History

In 1829, four years after the declaration of Independence, it was decided to pull down the fortifications of the Ciudad Vieja and extend the city to form the "Ciudad Nueva". The plans for some additional 160 city blocks and included a new square, which in 1840 took on the name Plaza de Cagancha, after the homonymous battle of 1839, when General Rivera defeated the invading forces from Buenos Aires. In 1867 the Pillar of Peace (Columna de La Paz) was erected in its centre with a bronze statue on its top.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the French landscape architect Charles Thays undertook the embellishment of this square.[2]

Kilometre zero

The Pillar of Peace of Plaza de Cagancha marks the Kilometre zero of the main National Routes of Uruguay.

References
  1. Gill, Nicholas; Greenspan, Eliot; Blore, Shawn (28 June 2010). Frommer's South America. Frommer's. p. 732. ISBN 978-0-470-59155-0. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  2. César J. Loustau (1995-01-01). Influencia de Francia en la arquitectura de Uruguay (in Spanish). Ediciones Trilce. p. 191. ISBN 9974-32-116-6.


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