Plaza de Cagancha, Public square in Centro, Montevideo, Uruguay

Plaza de Cagancha is a public square in the Centro neighborhood of Montevideo, crossed by 18 de Julio Avenue. It originated in 1836 as the central space of the Ciudad Nueva layout designed by José María Reyes and redefined by Carlo Zucchi. At its center stands the Column of Peace, a 17-meter, 9-ton monument inaugurated in 1867, consisting of a bronze female allegory atop a white marble column.

Laid out in 1829 by engineer José María Reyes as the central space of the Ciudad Nueva, the square was redesigned in 1836 by architect Carlo Zucchi. On 7 February 1840 it was named Plaza de Cagancha after General Fructuoso Rivera's 1839 victory over Pascual Echagüe at the Cagancha stream. It was briefly renamed 25 de Mayo in 1864 during the civil war and restored in December 1865.

The square's name comes from the 1839 Battle of Cagancha, fought on the banks of the Cagancha stream in San José department, where General Fructuoso Rivera defeated Pascual Echagüe; a decree of 7 February 1840 gave the square that name. From the first decade of the 1900s until 1953 the Gran Café Ateneo stood at 18 de Julio 1182, a meeting point for intellectuals and tango lovers.

The square is crossed by 18 de Julio Avenue, so use the pedestrian crossings to move between its halves. Its south, northeast and northwest ring roads are named after Enrique Tarigo, Adela Reta and Arturo Baliñas. The Column of Peace in the centre marks kilometre zero of Uruguay's national routes.

The Column of Peace was lowered in 1939 and kept in the courtyard of the Blanes Museum until 1942, when it was reinstalled on its pedestal with the sword restored. The monument marks kilometre zero of Uruguay's national routes.