Plaza Francia — known to most caraqueños as Plaza Altamira — is the symbolic centre of eastern Caracas. The 47-metre granite obelisk at its centre was inaugurated in 1945 as a monument to the inauguration of the Altamira neighbourhood; six broad avenues radiate from it in a star pattern. From the southern end of the plaza, looking north, the obelisk lines up almost exactly with Pico Naiguatá on the Ávila.
The plaza has hosted most of the major opposition gatherings of the past two decades; the steps below the obelisk are the standard backdrop for political speeches. Day to day it functions as the heart of Altamira — joggers in the early morning, families in the afternoon, dog walkers at all hours. The fountains were restored in 2019.