Plaza

Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be incorporated in a wing of a governor's palace, and the audiencia or law court. The plaza might be large enough to serve as a military parade ground. At times of crisis or fiesta, it was the space where a large crowd might gather. Like the Italian piazza, the plaza remains a center of community life that is only equalled by the market-place.

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Most colonial cities in Spanish America 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.

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A plaza de toros is a bullfighting arena.

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The Italian cognate is Piazza, the French cognate Place.

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Spanish: Spanish can mean:...

Public space: One definition of public space or a public place is a place where anyone has a right to come without being excluded because economic or social conditions (fees, paying an entrance, being poor, ...). Malls are examples of 'private space' with the apearence of 'public space'....

City square: REDIRECT Town square...

Plaza related Images and Photos (experimental)

Plaza del Carmen	Plaza Puddles II	Plaza De Las Ventas	Plaza de Toros de Valencia
Market Plaza 1879	Plaza De San Juan De Dios in 1596	Plaza After the Rain	Neuva Plaza de Toros San Sebastian
Plaza de San-Carlos de Chiloe 1835	Plaza De Espana Facade Sevilla Andalucia Spain	The Plaza de Bolivar Bogota 1837	Plaza de Toros Monumental Barcelona 1936