Plaza San Martín

　　Plaza San Martín (Plaza Libertador Gral. San Martin) is situated in the Retiro district of the capital city, Buenos Aires. Originally known as Plaza del Marte, the square was renamed in honor of General José de San Martín, Argentina’s national hero and a great liberator. He led the Argentine people in the War of Independence and made outstanding contributions to the liberation of Latin America, earning the title “The Liberator.” During the war, General San Martín trained cavalry troops here. On February 25, 1878, on the centennial of San Martín’s birth, the Argentine people named the plaza after him.

　　The plaza has an irregular shape and covers an area of 24,600 square meters, making it one of the oldest squares in Buenos Aires. At its center stands a statue of the Liberator, General José de San Martín. The statue was sculpted in 1862 by the French artist Louis Joseph Daumes. The figure of San Martín is carved from a single piece of bronze, depicted mid-leap on horseback. As a result, the weight of the entire sculpture is concentrated on the horse’s hind legs—a testament to the sculptor’s exceptional skill.

　　Address: Retiro district, Buenos Aires, Argentina