Plaza de Mayo and the May Pyramid

Stand next to the white pyramid in the centre of the square. It's the oldest patriotic monument in the city, and it keeps a secret inside.

1Two squares that became one

Juan de Garay laid out the city's main square here in 1580. For centuries it was really two spaces: the square in front of the fort and the square in front of the Cabildo, divided by a long arcaded market building, the Recova. When the Recova was pulled down in 1883, under mayor Torcuato de Alvear, the Plaza de Mayo you're standing on was born.

2A pyramid for the first anniversary

In March 1811 the Junta Grande ordered a monument to celebrate the first anniversary of the Revolution. Master builder Francisco Cañete put it up in a few weeks, using brick and humble materials, and it was unveiled on 25 May 1811. In 1856 the painter and architect Prilidiano Pueyrredón transformed it: he made it taller and wider, but instead of demolishing the original, he wrapped it.

The 1811 pyramid is still in there: a study in 1912 confirmed that Pueyrredón's work encases it.

That same year, 1912, the monument was moved about 63 metres east to the centre of the square, to make room for a grand monument that was never built. At the top, the figure of Liberty is by the French sculptor Joseph Dubourdieu.

3What to look for

• The statue of Liberty, in a Phrygian cap, at the top.
• The coats of arms and laurels on the base, added in the 1856 makeover.
• The white headscarves painted on the ground, in memory of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.