Plaza Grau, Lima

Plaza Grau stands as a prominent public square situated in the heart of Lima. Positioned at the crossroads of Paseo de la República, Paseo Colón, Miguel Grau Avenue, and Paseo de los Héroes Navales, this square was christened in honor of Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario, the valiant commander of the Huáscar monitor during the War of the Pacific.

The square boasts a rectangular layout with gently rounded corners, adorned by well-tended gardens. At its epicenter, one finds the imposing Miguel Grau monument, crafted from a combination of granite and bronze by the Spanish sculptor Victorio Macho. This remarkable statue soars to a towering height of twenty-one meters.

The monument is a granite monolith with vertical striations symbolizing Peru. It has lower pedestals representing the sea and a sculpture of Miguel Grau on the front. The sides show people striving for greatness, and the back has a plaque for the Battle of Angamos. At the top, there's an allegorical figure of fame reaching for immortality carried by tritons and sirens.

Plaza Grau was formally opened on October 28, 1946, when José Luis Bustamante y Rivero was in office as the president. If you stroll around this plaza along both sides of Via Express, you'll come across notable landmarks such as the Palacio de Justicia (Justice Palace), the Sheraton Hotel, and the Parque de Lima, which houses the Museo de Arte (Art Museum).