Plaza Zabala, Historic square in Ciudad Vieja, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Plaza Zabala is a public square in the old quarter featuring an equestrian statue at its center surrounded by manicured gardens. The space has a geometric layout with trees and colonial buildings around its edges, including a palace that now serves as a museum.
The site was originally a military fort that stood until 1878 when it was demolished to make way for urban renewal. The transformation took more than a decade before the completed square opened to the public in 1890.
The equestrian monument honors Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, the founder of Montevideo, and serves as a gathering place where locals pause to remember the city's roots. The surrounding gardens create a space where people naturally linger, making it a living link to the past.
The square is surrounded by ring roads that make navigation simple and connect to nearby attractions. Visitors will find paved walkways and multiple entry points, making it easy to explore the space and the surrounding colonial buildings.
The square follows a diagonal pattern that breaks away from the typical grid layout of the old quarter, which becomes apparent as you approach from the waterfront. This unconventional design creates sight lines that feel distinctly different from the streets surrounding it.
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