Casa de los Alcaldes, Colonial building at Plaza de la Independencia, Quito, Ecuador.
Casa de los Alcaldes is situated on the northern edge of Independence Square, positioned between the Pizarro Palace and the Metropolitan Curia Palace in central Quito. The structure houses tourism offices on the ground floor while upper floors serve as residential spaces for municipal officials overlooking the main plaza.
The property originally belonged to Juan Díaz de Hidalgo, a founder of San Francisco de Quito, beginning in 1534. It later served as residence for President García Moreno, establishing it as a significant administrative seat of the city.
The building displays Spanish colonial design with two courtyards, stone columns, and wooden elements that reflect how Quito's leaders lived and worked together. Visitors can see how the space mixed administrative functions with private residence in a single structure.
Access to the tourism offices is available from the street side, while residential areas occupy the upper floors. It helps to explore the surrounding plaza during your visit to fully appreciate how the building relates to its central location.
The main courtyard underwent renovation in 1990 when workers replaced original clay tiles with a wooden pergola structure covered in glass. The original supporting columns remained intact, showing how contemporary modifications were blended with the colonial foundation.
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