Plaza de America

Guided visits and routes that go through Plaza de America

The Plaza de America forms part of the María Luisa Park complex. Specifically, this plaza is located in the southern part of the garden and is one of its largest zones, next to the Plaza de España situated on the north side.This plaza was built early in the 20th century when the city began to prepare itself for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929. It was at that time when the architectural director of the event, Aníbal González, mapped out the construction of the buildings that surround the plaza. These buildings are the Museum of Art and Tradition, the Archaeological Museum and the Royal Pavilion.

The architect constructed each of them in a different artistic style: Neo-Mudejar, Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Gothic, respectively, which gives the plaza its peculiar and eclectic appearance. The plaza is enclosed on three sides by these buildings. The Gazebo of the Doves is located on the fourth side, to the west. Its name is due to the many doves that gather there, and the entire American Plaza is even commonly known as Plaza of the Doves.

The size of this plaza means that there are other gazebos as well, like that of Cervantes, all of which are decorated with ceramic tiles inspired by the famous works of that writer. And opposite is the Rodríguez Marín Gazebo, where there is a fountain decorated with the portrait of that poet, lawyer and student of the works of Cervantes.

Occupying the central space of the Plaza de America is a large fountain and a long garden that separates the Museum of Art and Tradition and the Archaeological Museum. In short, the entire complex possesses an undeniable artistic and scenic value. In fact, in the beginning when it was designed and built, it was solely meant to house the events of the 1929 Exhibition, at the end of which they would be demolished. However, upon seeing the final result, it was decided that they would remain standing and be prepared for new cultural uses, as they are today.