Berrío Park

In front of you is Medellín's ground zero. Street numbering starts here, and for generations people have arranged to meet here: «see you at the Berrío».

1From main square to park

This was the town's main square, the forecourt of La Candelaria church. It held the market, processions and public ceremonies, and the most powerful families lived around it. In 1895 the statue of Pedro Justo Berrío, the Conservative governor who modernised Antioquia between 1864 and 1873, was raised in the centre, the work of the Italian sculptor Giovanni Anderlini. It has been called Berrío Park ever since.

After the fires of 1917, 1921 and 1922, the old mansions gave way to banks and offices. In the late 1980s the square was rebuilt to make room for the metro station, which opened in 1995.

2La Gorda and The Challenge

On the south-west corner stands the Botero sculpture people affectionately call «La Gorda», «the plump lady». It was the first monumental work the artist gave to Medellín. On another corner rises The Challenge, by the Antioquian sculptor Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt.

Deals are still closed on the benches here, shoes shined and tinto drunk from little plastic cups, just as a century ago.

It is a very crowded place: keep your phone put away and avoid changing money on the street.

3What to look for

• Berrío's statue on its marble pedestal.
• «La Gorda», polished by the hands of everyone who touches her.
• The elevated metro, which has crossed downtown since 1995.