Over the years this beautiful square has undergone some modifications, but that does not mean it has lost its architectural beauty, on the contrary, it has been ornamented embellishing the Main Square of Puno.
All the implements that were made over time have been beautifying its appearance.
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Before telling its story, I could observe something disturbing, during my stay in Puno I realized that many tourists often arrive in the city and simply do not stay to admire and contemplate the architectural beauty of the cathedral and less its surroundings.
Most of them usually go straight to Lake Titicaca and I'm not saying it's wrong, but ideally you should also stay to see the Plaza Mayor, visit the surrounding sites, etc.
Before I mention any of the places you should visit in Puno, first we must know its history and be able to physically touch it.
We are told that in the beginning the Plaza de Armas was an empty lot and in the year 1668 the first layout was made and delimited with the buildings that were around, and in 1901 began with the construction of a central pool almost similar to that of Arequipa.
In 1925 this was modified by the monument of Colonel Francisco Bolognesi, hero of the war with Chile, in 2019 the monument was removed and as a replacement they placed the old pool that was in front of the majestic cathedral that is very different from the others and I will explain why?
Surely you realized or you will realize that all the churches built in the Peruvian territory always exist constructions on the sides of the cathedrals, but the Cathedral of Puno incredibly has the four sides clear and well carved, being built in the seventeenth century.
Starting from there this place is already different, between 2018 and 2019 the Municipality of Puno executed a project entitled "Improvement of public services of the Plaza Mayor and its surroundings in the monumental area of the city of Puno" which had the purpose of beautifying and improving the city center, which is why some modifications were made.
During this time, the San Francisco Bolognesi Monument was replaced by the old pool, the large trees were removed, new lights were implemented to decorate the square, the flagstones were replaced by carved stone floors and the fences were removed from all the green areas found in the Main Square of Puno.
As I said at the beginning, many of us usually pass the square without stopping, but here I will show you the places you should visit in the Plaza de Armas of Puno:
Walking along Lima Street
A beautiful landscape that you can walk on foot, it is one of the most elegant areas of Puno where you will find a variety of stores, restaurants, banks, agencies and more; it is like the commercial center of Puno.
Visit the Cathedral of Puno
The Cathedral of Puno stands out among the others for having an Andean baroque style, it is also one of the most visited, admission is free for everyone.
Resting in front of the Pool
I am not saying that before 2008 the plaza was unattractive, only that since 2009 - 2009 they made better arrangements that in appearance the Plaza de Armas is more attractive either day or night.
Even the monument of Francisco Bolognesi had to be replaced by an old basin brought from France, and what to say about the illumination that gives a beautiful aspect to the Plaza Mayor.
Tasting in restaurants
Here you will have many options to try the traditional food of Puno as well as other dishes, so I recommend that you enter the restaurant and try the delicacies of Puno.
These are some of the places you should visit if you are in the Plaza de Armas, so as I already gave you some recommendations, you just have to visit these places and take the best pictures to prove your visit.
