Buildings dating from the late 19C and early 20C surround this majestically proportioned square. At its centre, benches invite visitors to sit in the shade, and the glorieta (bandstand) sometimes hosts the municipal band. At the entrance to the square, behind two marble lions, a rose motif in the paving marks the boundary of Cienfuegos at its foundation in 1819. All the local streets converge on the square, with a statue of José Martí the national hero standing at its centre.