Intramuros was the capital of the colony and the Plaza Mayor was at its center. As such, we can say that the Plaza Mayor was the heart of the entire Philippines.
At the center of it all was the monument to King Charles IV. Surrounding the plaza were the most important buildings of that time, such as the Cathedral, the Palacio del Gobernador, and the government building known as the Ayuntamiento or Cabildo.
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