Old City Tours – Montevideo, Uruguay
Old City
Ciudad Vieja
About this place
Ciudad Vieja is the old part of the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo. At the center one can see a large square called Plaza Independencia. The Old City district starts at this square and ends at the port of Montevideo and it is characterized by colonial buildings.
The old city was surrounded by city walls to defend the city from possible invasions. The walls stood there up until 1829 when they were turned down, and only the city gates were left standing.
A monument that marks the tomb of Jose Gervasio Artigas is located at the centre of Plaza. He is considered the father of Uruguayan independence. There are other important buildings in Old City which speak about the history of this beautiful city. Some of these are; Casa Rivera which used to be the home of Fructuoso River, first president of Uruguay; house of Giuseppe Garibaldi (Casa Garibaldi) who exiled in Uruguay.
The Old City is also home to the Cabildo, a building that was once used as the government house and today it houses a museum and a historical archive. Cabildo is located on Martiz Square (Plaza Martiz) which is also called Constitution Square that was the mayor square of Montevideo in colonial period. This square is also home to the Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana de Montevideo) built in neoclassical style and consecrated in 1804.
Solis Theatre (Teatro Solís), Uruguay´s oldest theatre that was opened in 1856 is located on the central square, Plaza Independencia. Museum Torres Garcia (Museo Torres Garcia) is a museum of art that is also situated in Old City and attracts over 65,000 visitors a year.
Today, Montevideo Old City is not just the historical centre of the city, but also the district where the majority of nightclubs, and bars found home, as well as Seaprot Market (Mercado de Puerto) which could be considered as the gastronomic center of Montevideo.
Tours That Go to Old City
Tour Guides for Old City
Leave a review
Add Review