The Plaza de Armas is framed to the north by the cathedral and on its three other sides by a double row of arcades with sturdy granite pillars and brick vaults, with the snow-capped peak of the Misti volcano in the distance. The square is always lively and frequently the scene of political demonstrations, parades and town festivities. In the centre, in the shade of high palm trees, a handsome bronze fountain whose three superimposed basins are crowned by a delicate statue of El Tuturutu, said to have founded the city.