Plaza de la Independencia

The Plaza de la Independencia, in Campeche

The Plaza de la Independencia is the historic and social heart of Campeche, a place of life of the city for nearly five centuries. The Campeche audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this square born in 1540 with the foundation of the city, a former Plaza de Armas become, after the independence of Mexico, a symbol of the end of the Spanish domination, lively today with its bandstand, its musicians and its artisans.

History

The Plaza de la Independencia was created in 1540, at the foundation of San Francisco de Campeche by the conquistador Francisco de Montejo. It then bore the name of Plaza de Armas, as in most Spanish colonial cities. According to the rules of urbanism imposed by the crown, the central square had to host the most important buildings: the church, the civil institutions and the dwellings of the influential families. Little by little, the city organised itself around this space, that became its political, religious and commercial centre. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Campeche was regularly attacked by pirates come from the Caribbean; despite these threats, the square remained the great gathering place of the population, of the ceremonies and of public life. After the independence of Mexico in 1821, it took its current name of Plaza de la Independencia, a symbol of the end of the Spanish domination. Today still, its plan corresponds almost perfectly to that of the colonial era. In its centre stands a covered bandstand, used for concerts and cultural events.

What to see

Here you discover the historic heart of Campeche, a square born in 1540 with the city, a former Plaza de Armas become Plaza de la Independencia after the independence; its colonial plan is almost intact, and its central bandstand hosts concerts and events, while musicians, artisans and families enliven it. Facing the cathedral, the square is the place of life of Campeche. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Plaza de la Independencia lies in the heart of the historic centre of Campeche, facing the cathedral, reachable on foot. It is a square in free access, lively by day as by evening, that you discover during a walk in the old fortified town.

Why is the main square of Campeche called Plaza de la Independencia?

Because after the independence of Mexico in 1821, it received this name in symbol of the end of the Spanish domination; created in 1540 with the foundation of the city under the name of Plaza de Armas, it was from the origin the political, religious and commercial centre of Campeche, and preserves today an almost intact colonial plan.

Where is the Plaza de la Independencia in Campeche?

In the heart of the historic centre of Campeche, facing the cathedral, in Mexico.