Independence Square

Quito, Ecuador, Ecuador

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Independence Square, also known as Plaza de la Independencia or Plaza Grande, is the main public square in the historic center of Quito, Ecuador, and is widely regarded as the city’s civic and symbolic heart.

It is a pedestrian‑only plaza paved with green lawns and tree‑lined paths, anchored by a central monument that honors the heroes of Quito’s first cry for independence from Spain on August 10, 1809. The square is surrounded by some of Quito’s most important historic buildings, including the Carondelet Palace, the seat of the Ecuadorian president, as well as the Quito Metropolitan Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Municipal Palace, and the Hotel Plaza Grande, all reflecting colonial and later neoclassical architecture.

Located in the UNESCO World Heritage‑listed Old Town, Independence Square serves both as a political hub and a popular gathering place for locals and tourists, who come to stroll, admire the fountains and monument, and experience the city’s official and religious power in one compact, central space.