Democracy Square facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Democracy Square |
|
|---|---|
Monument to the flag located in the center of the square in 2013
|
|
| Location | |
| Montevideo, Uruguay | |
| Coordinates: | 51°30′36″N 0°8′4″W / 51.51000°N 0.13444°W |
| Roads at junction: |
Italy Avenue, Artigas Boulevard and 8 de Octubre Avenue |
| Construction | |
| Type: | Road junction and square |
| Opened: | 1978 |
| Map | |
| Lua error in Module:Infobox_road/map at line 15: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Democracy Square (Spanish: Plaza de la Democracia) is a big open space and a busy meeting point in Montevideo, Uruguay. It's located in the Tres Cruces neighborhood.
This square connects three very important streets: Italy Avenue, Artigas Boulevard, and 8 de Octubre Avenue. These streets are like main highways for the city. They bring a lot of traffic into the city center. Democracy Square is also known as Plaza de la Bandera (Spanish for 'Flag Square'). This is because there's a tall flagpole with the national flag right in the middle. The square is a popular spot because it's right across from the Tres Cruces bus station and mall. This is the main bus station for the whole country.
Contents
History of Democracy Square
The square first opened on December 15, 1978. At that time, it was called Oriental Nationality Square. A large flagpole with the national flag was put up. However, an underground tunnel was already there. This tunnel connects 18 de Julio and 8 de Octubre avenues. It had opened much earlier, on July 18, 1961.
In 1985, the country's government changed. The square's name was then changed to its current name, Democracy Square.
Making the Square New Again
In 2011, a contest was held to find new ideas for the square. Architects Marcelo Danza, Francisco Fernández, and Carlos López Quagliata were the judges. The plan was to make the square better and more modern.
The work to update the square took about one year. It covered a large area, including the flag monument. They added new paved areas and green spaces. Some cool new things were built:
- A round outdoor theater with seats. This theater reminds people of an important meeting from 1813.
- A beautiful water fountain.
- A fun playground for children.
- A special area for markets or art shows.
A company called Gralado S.A. helped pay for these changes. They own the Tres Cruces shopping mall. The mall used the square as a parking lot while it was expanding. The new and improved square officially opened on October 2, 2014.
Monuments and Statues
Besides the big flagpole, Democracy Square has other interesting statues.
- In December 1938, a copy of the Capitoline Wolf statue was placed here. This statue shows a wolf feeding two babies.
- On May 18, 1943, a statue of Joaquín "Ansina" Lenzina was put up. It was made by the artist José Belloni. However, this statue was moved to another neighborhood, Barrio Sur, in 2020.
- In 2017, a special monument was added. It honors people who suffered during a difficult time in the country's history. The sculpture shows two people kneeling with their hands tied. It was created by Rubens Fernández Tudurí in 1986.
Events at the Square
Democracy Square is often used for different public events. People gather here for tributes, protests, and political meetings. For example, it has been used for events honoring people who worked to protect the country's democratic rules. It was also used for a big meeting about a special law in 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Plaza de la Democracia (Montevideo) para niños
