Plaza Zabala, Historic square in Ciudad Vieja, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Plaza Zabala is a public square in the Ciudad Vieja neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay, with an equestrian statue at its center and planted garden areas around it. Colonial buildings line its edges, including a former palace that now operates as a museum.
A military fort once stood on this site until it was demolished in 1878 to make way for a new urban space. After more than a decade of work, the square opened to the public in 1890.
The equestrian statue at the center shows Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, the founder of Montevideo, giving the square its name. People often stop here for a moment before continuing through the old quarter, making it a natural pause point in the neighborhood.
The square sits in the heart of Ciudad Vieja and is easy to reach on foot from most of the neighborhood's main points of interest. Paved walkways and several entry points make it straightforward to move around and take in the surrounding buildings.
The square follows a diagonal layout that breaks from the grid pattern of the surrounding streets, something that becomes clear as you approach from the waterfront side. This orientation creates sight lines through the old quarter that you do not find anywhere else nearby.
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