Plaza Mayor
during the Spanish period and Plaza McKinley during the American
regime, it became Plaza de Roma in 1960 due to a reciprocal agreement
between the Vatican and the Philippine Government. A Piazza Manila was
built in Rome. Plaza Mayor was the scene of raucous bull
fights and other public events for many years, until Governor-General
Rafael Maria de Aguilar converted it to a garden in 1797. The bronze
statue of King Carlos IV was installed in 1824 as a tribute for his
having sent the first smallpox vaccine to the Philippines. Intramuros
Administration refurbished the site in 1980. |
