El Arco de la Circasiana

The triple stone arch of the Circasiana gate stands separated from the wall that once defined the sprawling estate of the Jijón-Caamaño family. Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño, a prominent historian and one-time candidate for the presidency of Ecuador, built his residence here in the early twentieth century. He filled the mansion and its gardens with his vast collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and colonial art. The arch served as the primary entrance to his private world before the city expanded around the grounds.