The Plaza Grande (officially Plaza de la Independencia) is the heart of Quito's Historic Centre and the oldest continuously used public square in the Americas. It is ringed by the four buildings that defined colonial power: the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace, the City Hall, and the Presidential Palace (Palacio de Carondelet). The Palacio de Carondelet is still the official seat of the Ecuadorian government, which means the main square of a national capital has changed remarkably little since the 16th century.
The square is lively at most hours — schoolchildren doing exercises in the morning, couples and families in the afternoon, the changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace midday. In the centre stands a monument to the 1809 heroes of Ecuador's first declaration of independence. The best time to see it is Sunday morning, when traffic is restricted and the square fills with Quiteños taking their weekly stroll. The Cathedral's interior, with its mix of Baroque and Mudéjar elements, is worth entering; look for the tomb of Field Marshal Antonio José de Sucre, the liberator of Ecuador.