Plaza de la Ciudad de Esperanza, Town square in Esperanza, Argentina

The Plaza de la Ciudad de Esperanza is a central square whose diagonals and medians form a cross, ending in masonry pillars that mark the entrances to the paths. In 1905 a heroic bust of San Martín was placed in the center, and since 1910 the Monument to Agriculture by Scarabelia and Fontana has stood there. The perimeter is lined with double rows of orange trees, and jacarandas surround it.

The square was laid out by 1856, when four blocks in the middle of the wide street were reserved for a future plaza; the settlement itself began with a 1853 colonization contract signed by Governor Domingo Crespo and businessman Aarón Castellanos, which brought 200 Swiss colonist families three years later. In 1884 Esperanza became a city, and the plaza was then the setting of disputes over where to place a monument to Argentine independence and the colonizing venture. The cornerstone was laid in 1892, and the Monument to Agriculture was inaugurated on 8 September 1910.

The square was long known simply as the plaza of Esperanza, and in 1905 it was renamed Plaza San Martín after the bronze bust of the liberator donated by Dr. Carlos Aldao. The monument to the first Municipal Council, by José Sedlaceck, depicts on its reliefs the municipal government, the subdivision of property, religious coexistence and primary education. A female figure representing fertile Mother Earth was vandalized in 1963 and replaced in 1974 by a seated woman holding the act, by Roberto Mignal.

The square is normally accessible during daylight hours and serves as a helpful landmark for exploring the town. Visitors should be aware that civic ceremonies and public events often take place here, particularly during local festivals and holidays.

In 1867 Alois Tabernig, a Catholic, and Magdalena Moritz, from a Protestant family, resolved their religious dispute by marrying in the square; neighbours were summoned and a "liberty tree" was planted to mark the union. The sources do not record that tree surviving today.