Zocalo Plaza and San Miguel Fountain, Puebla (must see)
Zocalo Plaza is the main square in the center of Puebla. It is considered to be the cultural and political center of the city. It was also the source of drinking water through the mid-16th century. Zocalo, which means plinth or pedestal, was the first block created in Puebla. The remainder of the city was built out from Zocalo in a checkerboard pattern. The Zocalo and surrounding blocks have played a central role in the city's planning and geography for over 500 years.
Zocalo Plaza has long been a location for entertainment and celebrations. Bullfights were regular contests in the square until they ended in 1722. It was also the primary market of Puebla through the end of the 18th century.
Buildings around Zocalo Plaza include the Colorado House Museum, the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, the City Hall, and numerous shopping venues. The square is known for its public art, including four statues of muses installed at each corner of the plaza, the Monument to the Siege of Puebla, the Kiosko sculpture by Jan Hendrix, and Puebla de los Angeles.
Zocalo Plaza is also known as the location of the San Miguel Fountain. San Miguel was the main patron of Puebla city. The composition of the fountain features waterfalls on a wide cup, supported by four life-size angels. The statue of the San Miguel stays on a stone column in the center of the structure.
The San Miguel Fountain is one of the historical monuments most seen by locals and tourists because it is located right in the center of Zocalo Plaza. Despite its popularity, few know the history of the fountain. It was the first fountain in the Zocalo and the center of the water supply in the city.
The San Miguel Fountain was designed by one of the most famous architects in the country during the 18th century, Antonio Santa Maria Inchaurregui, and carved by stone carving masters Anselmo Martínez and José Francisco Rabanillo. The fountain was inaugurated on June 23, 1777.
Zocalo Plaza has long been a location for entertainment and celebrations. Bullfights were regular contests in the square until they ended in 1722. It was also the primary market of Puebla through the end of the 18th century.
Buildings around Zocalo Plaza include the Colorado House Museum, the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, the City Hall, and numerous shopping venues. The square is known for its public art, including four statues of muses installed at each corner of the plaza, the Monument to the Siege of Puebla, the Kiosko sculpture by Jan Hendrix, and Puebla de los Angeles.
Zocalo Plaza is also known as the location of the San Miguel Fountain. San Miguel was the main patron of Puebla city. The composition of the fountain features waterfalls on a wide cup, supported by four life-size angels. The statue of the San Miguel stays on a stone column in the center of the structure.
The San Miguel Fountain is one of the historical monuments most seen by locals and tourists because it is located right in the center of Zocalo Plaza. Despite its popularity, few know the history of the fountain. It was the first fountain in the Zocalo and the center of the water supply in the city.
The San Miguel Fountain was designed by one of the most famous architects in the country during the 18th century, Antonio Santa Maria Inchaurregui, and carved by stone carving masters Anselmo Martínez and José Francisco Rabanillo. The fountain was inaugurated on June 23, 1777.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Puebla. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Zocalo Plaza and San Miguel Fountain on Map
Sight Name: Zocalo Plaza and San Miguel Fountain
Sight Location: Puebla, Mexico (See walking tours in Puebla)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Puebla, Mexico (See walking tours in Puebla)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Puebla, Mexico
Create Your Own Walk in Puebla
Creating your own self-guided walk in Puebla is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Puebla Introduction Walking Tour
The city of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla and the fourth largest city in Mexico. It was founded in 1531 in an uninhabited area between two indigenous settlements of the time, Tlaxcala and Cholula. The area used to be called Cuetlaxcoapan, which means "where serpents change their skin".
Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés occupied the Puebla region in 1519, killing most... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés occupied the Puebla region in 1519, killing most... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Puebla Colonial Architecture Walking Tour
One of the most authentic and traditional destinations in Mexico, the city of Puebla abounds in Baroque architecture, or rather the peculiar regional form thereof resulted from the fusion of European and indigenous styles in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Visiting this magical place you will find lots of (more than 70!) sumptuous churches, convents and sanctuaries, as well as other incredible... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Visiting this magical place you will find lots of (more than 70!) sumptuous churches, convents and sanctuaries, as well as other incredible... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Puebla Food Tasting and Shopping Tour
Among other delights that the Mexican city of Puebla can pride itself on is the abundant food and shopping scene fit to delight even the most discerning travelers with an array of colors and flavors to treat themselves to.
One spot to visit for non-trivial shopping is the Alley of the Frogs (Callejón de los Sapos), where antique stores and vendors line the cobblestone streets, offering a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
One spot to visit for non-trivial shopping is the Alley of the Frogs (Callejón de los Sapos), where antique stores and vendors line the cobblestone streets, offering a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles