Around the World in 180 Days with D and N: Quito: the Plaza Grande

The Plaza Grande, or Independence Plaza, is the center of the historic area. It is the point where the Spanish conquistadors founded the city. Quito was inhabited for thousands of years prior to their arrival: first by indigenous tribes, then by the Incas, who founded the northern capitol of their empire there. As the Spanish approached, the Inca general burnt their city to the ground, so no Inca ruins survive, although stones from the ruins were used as building blocks for the early Spanish constructions.

The center of the Plaza Grande contains a statue commemorating Ecuadorean independence from Spain. Now, the colonial cathedral takes up the southern side (closed to the public during our stay to get ready for the Pope's visit in July), and the Presidential Palace, which we visited, the entire west side. The Archbishop's Palace, along with the Hotel Plaza Grande is on the north. The church still owns the former Archbishop's Palace, but rents out most of the space for shops and restaurants. The eastern side is the modern municipal building, which fits in quite well with the colonial surroundings.
A direct ancestor of our landlady, Maria Teresa Garcia, once owned the entire eastern portion. He was the brother of President Garcia Moreno, but they didn't get along and the president exiled him to Columbia. Garcia Moreno, for whom the main street through the old area is named, met an untimely end. He was extremely conservative and extremely religious, allowing only Catholics to vote. In 1875, returning to the Presidential Palace from mass at the cathedral, he was attacked by three assassins, shot three times and hacked thirteen times by machete. He was carried back to the cathedral where he expired.

The historic area is the main reason UNESCO named Quito as its first "World Cultural Heritage Site" in 1978.