Plaza Mayor, Trinidad

Since Trinidad's beginnings and like most cities founded by the Spaniards—the relevant institutions were clustered round the city's central plaza. From 1514 onward, this plaza has undergone changes, until more than 300 years later it finally took on its present appearance. During the 19th century, the main Cathedral as well as mansions and palaces of the landed families of Brunet, Padrón, Ortiz and Sánchez-Iznaga's were situated here. Today, most of these building house museums and the plaza is quaintly decorated with four gardens surrounded by fences from Philadelphia, street lamps and a statue of the Greek muse, Terpsicore, in its center.