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Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open public space in a city, such as a city square. Most colonial cities in Spanish America were planned around a square plaza de armas, where troops could gather. A plaza de toros is a bullring.
In this way, what is a plaza in a Spanish speaking country?
Most colonial cities in Spanish America and the Philippines were planned around a square plaza de armas, where troops could be mustered, as the name implies, surrounded by the governor's palace and the main church. A plaza de toros is a bullring.
Just so, what is a plaza in Mexico?
El Zócalo is a term used to refer to the main plaza of a Mexican town. In the 19th century, a pedestal was set up in the center of Mexico City's main square that was to be the base for a monument that would commemorate Mexican independence.
The historic plaza, Carrion argued, is therefore all the more important as a democratic place for social life, and as a symbolic place that represents the whole society. The plaza organizes the city. It is a place of encounter, the living room of the city, where debate and civic thought develop.