Plaza de Armas (Ayacucho)

Monument to Mariscal Sucre in the Plaza de Armas of Ayacucho.

The Plaza de Armas of Ayacucho is located in the city center of Ayacucho. The Plaza de Armas is the center of the town, so called because it was the place to which the defenders of the city came first in case of emergency. It should be called the Plaza Mayor. However, in Ayacucho, they know it as the Sucre park.

Overview

The Plaza de Armas is surrounded by the Cuzco, Portal Constitución, Portal Independencia and the Portal Municipalidad avenues. It is surrounded by buildings which mostly date from the 16th and 17th centuries. It is Peru's largest square and monuments of great historical and architectural value. It has a level of harmony that unites all its components and it is made in the style of the plazas of Spain, such as the ones in Mérida and Trujillo. The buildings surrounding the square are true works of Baroque architecture; with stone arches and red clay roofs that are colorful from any angle. It is the only one in Peru with portals that consist of columns and stone arches, on all four sides. The east side has 16 arcs or archos (Spanish: Arcos), while the south side has 32, the west side has 30 and the north has 33. On the perimeter of the square are houses made of white stones, which serve as headquarters for major institutions such as the Municipality, the Cathedral, the Prefecture, the Superior Court and the premises of the San Cristóbal of Huamanga University. The monument that stands in the center of the square was erected in honor of the Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Antonio José de Sucre, which is surrounded by the coats of arms of the Bolivarian countries. In the 90s, it was remodeled with the addition of two water sources in the east and west sides.

Churches and convents

The city of Ayacucho has 33 Catholic churches, which makes it a very interesting religious destination for Christians. Each of those temples (the oldest was built in 1540) has some relic, art piece or legend. The Santo Domingo Temple, built in 1548 and the San Francisco de Paula church, built in 1713, show the evolution of style and taste of its builders. The Santo Domingo Temple has Romanesque and Byzantine arcs. The San Francisco de Asís church has Greco-Roman facades with raised images. The Society of Jesus temple has baroque interiors.

• Ayacucho 1847.jpg

  The Plaza de Armas in 1847.

• Lhouredelangelus.jpg

  The Angelus on the eve of Easter Sunday of 1900 in the Plaza de Armas.

• Ayacucho plaza 1911.jpg

  The Plaza de Armas in 1911.

• Plaza ayacucho 1920.jpg

  The Plaza de Armas in 1920.

• Portal Municipal Ayacucho.JPG

  The municipal portal around 1945.

• Procesion ayacucho.jpg

  A procession around 1960.