Santa Fe Plaza

When Santa Fe [1] was established in 1610, its layout was based on the standard Spanish laws regulating town planning in the colonies—hence the central plaza fronted by the Casas Reales (Palace of the Governors [2]) on its north side. The plaza is still the city’s social hub, and the blocks surrounding it are rich with history.

In the center of the plaza is the Soldiers’ Monument, dedicated in 1867 to those who died in “battles with…Indians in the territory of New Mexico”—the word “savage” has been neatly excised, a policy applied to historic markers throughout the state.