Plaza de Armas
‘Plaza’ (Spanish) or ‘piazza’ (Italian) translates directly to ‘square’ in English. But the translation doesn’t quite do the concept justice.
Plazas were originally conceived to provide a centre for urban and community life. They have several attributes: they’re often surrounded by significant city buildings, they provide open spaces that actively encourage public dwell time, and, yes, they are square in shape.
Though many European cities today boast beautiful central plazas, the first examples were dreamt up in the colonial cities of Latin America. Hence, the Plaza de Armas takes pride of place in Santiago’s city centre.
If this city were measured by the beauty, usage, tranquility and grandness of its central plaza, Santiago would score highly.
