Plaza de Gipuzkoa

About

This plaza was designed to be the central square of the first phase of urban expansion after the demolition of the city's walls in 1863. The design is typical of a 'Plaza Mayor' found elsewhere, with apartment blocks on three sides and an important building on the fourth side, in this case the palacio de la Diputación (the national government's representative offices in San Sebastian). The entire project, built between 1867 and 1882, is the work of José Eleuterio de Escoriaza. The central gardens, planted in 1877, are from the mind of French landscape architect Pierre Ducasse. The gardens consist of an interesting variety of trees and shrubs on uneven terrain. There's also a small pond, a weather dial and a statue of the musician José María Usandizaga to complete the scene.