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Plaza Grande is the heart of the historic center of Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its official name is Independence Plaza (Plaza de la Independencia). This is where the first calls for Ecuadorean independence were heard in 1809.
The beautiful plaza is full of trees and benches and there is a large monument in the center. It commemorates the heroes of 1809 who declared Ecuador’s independence from the Spanish crown.
North End
There are five important buildings that surround the plaza. On the east end is the Municipality of Quito. On the north end is the Archbishop’s Palace (Palacio Arzobispal), now a shopping center with restaurants. It was built in the 16th century. Next to it is the Hotel Plaza Grande, a five star luxury hotel built in 1930.
Metropolitan Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana), on the south end, was completed in 1567. The entrance is on a side street through a small museum. Admission to the museum only is US$2, the domes only is US$3, and a guided visit to the museum and domes, including a walk through the chapter house and library, is US$4 (as of October 2024). Photography is prohibited.
The interior has an interesting painting of The Last Supper with Christ and his disciples feasting on cuy (guinea pig) and drinking chicha. The tomb of Mariscal Antonio José de Sucre, hero if Ecuadorean independence, is also inside, as is a plaque indicating the spot where president Gabriel Garcia Moreno died on August 6, 1875, after he was attacked with a machete and shot outside the Carondelet Palace nearby. Many other presidents and bishops are buried inside.
The Church of the Sanctuary (Iglesia de El Sagrario) is a chapel connected to the Metropolitan Cathedral. It was built in 1617.
Carondelet Palace
The Carondelet Palace (Palacio de Carondelet), which is the Presidential Palace, sits on the west side of the plaza. It was built in 1801 by Baron Francisco Luis Héctor de Carondelet, the president of the Royal Audience of Quito (Real Audiencia de Quito), the Spanish Empire’s government. He was also former governor of El Salvador and Louisiana and was of French descent. Tours of the palace are available. Read about our tour here.
