Main Plaza

Contributed by Mariana Sandoval

In 1573, Philip II, King of Spain, declared in his decree, "Laws of the Indies" that all new towns must have a central plaza. When the fifty-six settlers arrived in San Antonio in 1731, they followed this decree and the Main Plaza, formerly called the Plaza de las Islas/Plaza Mayor, was created. The Main Plaza was the religious, political, and civic focal point for San Antonio de Bexar.
The plaza had two interconnected blocks: the plaza, itself, and the cathedral. The Church of San Fernando (not known as San Fernando Cathedral until 1874) is on the east side of the plaza square. For decades, the celebration of feast days and other religious events were held in the square. One of the more colorful religious events that the people of San Antonio participated in to celebrate feast days was "El Gallo Corriendo," or the "Running Rooster." This celebration involved a horseback rider carrying a rooster while being chased by other horseback riders in efforts to steal the rooster- whoever had the rooster, in the end, was the winner.
Casas Reales, the center for civilian government, faces opposite to the church. It was here that Moses Austin submitted petitions for the American colonization of Texas in 1820. It was also here that Santa Anna arrived in 1836 to begin the Siege of the Alamo. The building was vacated as the municipal headquarters by 1850.
As retail in the region began to boom, the Main Plaza started to commercialize. The saloons and gambling halls were the most popular addition to the Main Plaza in the 19th century- even drawing in people like Wyatt Earp.
The Main Plaza remained the communal core of San Antonio until the late 19th century with the arrival of the streetcar which allowed people to create and travel to more distant social hubs throughout the city. In 2006, the city sought to revive the plaza and to make it the "Heart of the City" once more. The city has made many renovations to the Main Plaza including the addition of 30 historical plaques that tell stories of the vibrant historical events that have occurred in Main Plaza throughout 300 years. Today, the Plaza still holds live concerts with regular performances from Mariachi Corazon de San Antonio; religious events like the Passion of the Christ recreations during the Lent season; political rallies; and other civic activities such as farmer's markets. The Main Plaza continues to serve as a focal point for the people of San Antonio since its founding.