Founded in 1726, two years after the founding of Montevideo, the square was a dusty plain until the end of the 18th century, when buildings were built around it. From that moment on, official events and celebrations, both civil and military, were held in the space, as well as bullfights, since a bullring was located in the square. In 1851, the square was structured in a centralized way with diagonal paths lined with trees, paved and equipped with benches and lanterns. In 1868, construction began on a steam pumping plant and a 60 km pipeline to supply the city with water. In addition, a fountain was built in the square to receive the water. On May 13, 1871, the water pumped from the
Santa Lucía River to the Plaza Constitución arrived for the first time; Finally, the fountain was formally inaugurated by President
Lorenzo Batlle y Grau on July 18. The fountain is a design by architect
Juan Manuel Ferrari, and is composed of a circular pool with an ornate column at its center that takes the form of three dishes that open in decreasing size. In the center there are four griffins alternated with various symbolic elements, such as the
National Coat of Arms. In 2011 the central fountain was restored. It is currently the tourist and commercial axis of the
barrio together with the
Peatonal Sarandí. Nearby are offices, government buildings, banks, clothing stores, and cultural institutions. == Geography ==