Plaza 5 de Mayo, Public square and park in Santa Ana district, Panama City, Panama
Plaza 5 de Mayo is a triangular public square in Santa Ana, Panama City, laid out between Avenida Central, the former railway station and the now-demolished Puente de Calidonia. Its centre holds a marble monument to six firefighters killed in the 1914 El Polvorín explosion. A 2017 renovation removed the two fountains around the obelisk, regraded the floor and laid 850 square metres of granite paving.
The triangular plot between Avenida Central, the former Calidonia bridge and La Calzada was a vacant lot in the late 19th century. On 5 May 1916 President Belisario Porras inaugurated a marble monument to six firefighters killed in the El Polvorín explosion of 5 May 1914. Law 33 of 2006 declared the square a national historic monument within the Calidonia and Ancón complex.
The name 5 de Mayo marks the date of the 1914 El Polvorín explosion, and the plaza's marble monument honors the six firefighters who died there. The Metro station beside it also carries the name. The surrounding blocks hold the pedestrianized stretch of Avenida Central, a busy shopping and walking area.
The plaza sits between Avenida Central, the former railway station and the 5 de Mayo metro stop, which is named after it. The 2017 renovation added ramps for wheelchair users and relaid 850 square metres of granite paving with corrected floor levels. The pedestrian stretch of Avenida Central and Avenida Justo Arosemena are steps away.
A major renovation completed in 2017 restored the plaza to its original appearance while adding new accessibility features for all visitors. The project carefully balanced historical restoration with practical improvements for modern use.
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