For many centuries it was the centre of life in Orense. It was used for the main town festival, major events and all types of entertainment.
It is an irregular square. All of the buildings on the square are old, with glassed in viewing points and balconies dating from the 18th and 19th Centuries, with the exception of one, which is in a modernist style, from the beginning of this century. The square is dominated by the Town Hall (Casa do Concello), which has a classical facade, a low portico, a balcony on the first floor and is decorated with a coat of arms and a clock. One side of the square, the "Espolón", was the preferred place for an evening stroll for the nineteenth century gentleman.