Plaza de la Cagancha

The Cagancha Square, in Montevideo

The Plaza de Cagancha, also called Plaza Libertad, is a historic square of Montevideo laid out in 1829, in the heart of which stands the column of Peace, the zero kilometre point from which all the distances of Uruguay are measured. The Montevideo audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this symbolic place, whose name recalls a major battle of the history of the country.

The zero kilometre of Uruguay

You arrive on the Cagancha Square, also known as Plaza Libertad, the square of Liberty. Laid out from 1829, shortly after independence, it is one of the oldest squares of the modern town, situated on the great avenue 18 de Julio. In its centre stands an elegant monument, the column of Peace, surmounted by an allegorical statue. This monument has a quite particular function: it marks the zero kilometre of Uruguay, that is to say the reference point from which all the road distances of the country are calculated. All the kilometre markers of Uruguay thus refer, symbolically, to this square of Montevideo. As for the name of Cagancha, it refers to a decisive battle of the national history: in 1839, during the civil wars that shook the region, the general Fructuoso Rivera won there a victory against the forces come from Buenos Aires. The square received this name the following year, in tribute to this episode. Lined with fine old buildings, the Cagancha Square is today a pleasant public space planted with trees, where you pass and where you rest, to the rhythm of the life of the avenue. A historic square and zero kilometre of the country, the Cagancha Square is a fine stop of the discovery of Montevideo.

What to see

Here you discover a historic square laid out from 1829, also called Plaza Libertad, on the avenue 18 de Julio; in its centre, the column of Peace marks the zero kilometre of Uruguay, the reference point of all the distances of the country. Its name recalls the battle of Cagancha, where the general Rivera won in 1839 a victory against the forces of Buenos Aires. The Cagancha Square is a symbolic place of Montevideo. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Cagancha Square, or Plaza Libertad, lies on the avenue 18 de Julio, in the heart of Montevideo, reachable on foot. It is a public square freely accessible, planted with trees and adorned with the column of Peace. You discover it during a walk along the avenue.

Why is the Cagancha Square the zero kilometre of Uruguay?

Because the column of Peace that stands there marks the reference point from which all the road distances of the country are calculated; all the kilometre markers of Uruguay refer symbolically to this square of Montevideo, laid out from 1829 and also called Plaza Libertad.

Where does the name of the Cagancha Square come from?

It recalls the battle of Cagancha, where the general Fructuoso Rivera won in 1839 a victory against the forces come from Buenos Aires, during the civil wars that shook the region; the square received this name the following year, in tribute to this episode of the national history.