Yungay Square

Plaza Yungay centers on a circular fountain topped by a bronze statue of a woman holding a torch, which represents liberty. General Manuel Bulnes inaugurated this space in eighteen thirty-nine to celebrate the victory of the Chilean army at the Battle of Yungay. For decades, the surrounding mansions housed the city’s aristocratic families, who arrived by horse-drawn carriage. Today, the statue watches over a mix of neighborhood activists, street performers, and the local residents who congregate here each afternoon under the trees.