Bogotá.

Bogotá’s main civic square brings the cathedral, Congress and city government into one view. Stop here to understand the historic centre through its contrasting buildings.

The square makes Colombia’s public institutions visible at street level: the Capitol faces the Palace of Justice, while the cathedral and Liévano building frame the other sides. Walking across the open space lets you compare religious, national and municipal architecture before choosing which part of La Candelaria to explore.

The buildings around Plaza de Bolívar represent different layers of the city’s history. The cathedral on the eastern side dates from the early nineteenth century, while the Capitol opposite the Palace of Justice took much of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to complete. The French-style Liévano building gives the western side a different architectural character. The modern Palace of Justice carries a more difficult history: an earlier courthouse was destroyed during the Bogotazo in 1948, and its replacement was devastated during the 1985 siege and military operation. The present building is therefore more than a contrast in style. Near the cathedral, Casa del Florero recalls the events of 20 July 1810. Seen together, these buildings connect independence, government and conflict within a single public space.

• The Capitol’s colonnade faces the Palace of Justice across the square.
• The French-style Liévano building contrasts with the cathedral on the opposite side.
• Pietro Tenerani’s 1846 statue of Simón Bolívar stands in the square.

Walk around the square to compare all four frontages before entering any individual building.

Combine the square with the cathedral exterior and Capitolio Nacional rather than making separate journeys.