PRAÇA XV
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Antique-style square featuring a 1970 fountain, an imperial palace and an arch leading to a small pedestrian street
A visit to the "Praça XV" is a must during the daytime visit to the "Centro". The land in the square originally belonged to the Carmelite Fathers, who built their convent there as early as 1590, and it was bought by the city on condition that nothing was built there, and for a long time it was called Carmel Square. The first fountain dates back to 1750 and was sculpted by the famous Mestre Valentim. General Osorio, whose statue is enthroned in the square, was a hero of the bloody war that Brazil (supported by Uruguay and Argentina) won against Paraguay between 1865 and 1870. General Osorio is buried under the statue, the cannonballs that surround the monument come from real Paraguayan cannons. The sea came at the foot of the fountain until the square was enlarged by winning land over water.
To the right of the square, looking out over the sea, stands the Imperial Palace, which was the modest residence of the emperors Dom Pedro I and II. In front of the Palace, on the other side of the square, there is an arch that leads into a small pedestrian street. This is the Arco do Teles. This place, which keeps an ancient character, is very much used for historical film shoots. The small street was laid out with right angles to cut off the rather violent draughts coming from the sea. This in fact caused serious problems of insalubrity, fevers brought by mosquitoes, which were swarming. Today, the Arco do Teles is one of the liveliest places in the city centre at night, with many bars.
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