Presidential Palace

The white stuccoed, perfectly symmetrical palace, fronted by a long row of columns supporting an upper balcony runs the length of the western side of Plaza de la Independencia. The balconies that protrude over the paved plaza in fact originally hail from the Palace of the Tuilleries in Paris. They were a gift from the French government after the French Revolution.

One can get a closer look at the Palace by entering from its north side, passing the guards. Two ‘toy-soldier’ guards, decked out in antiquated gold and blue uniforms, the Grenadiers of Tarqui, flank the main entrance.

 

The Presidential Palace opened part of its corridors of power to the public in 2007. The tours include such highlights as the room of portraits of past presidents of Ecuador, internal patios, works of art, as well as a display of the gifts received by presidents down the years, including works by Fernando Botero.  

Death in Quito
Relive, if you will, the final moments of one of Ecuador’s most conservative presidents, as he walked quietly and thoughtfully around the outside of the Presidential Palace, with no idea that he was taking his last steps. A little after midday, in broad daylight and in front of myriad witnesses, an assassin attacked President García Moreno with a machete and left him for dead by the principle pillar of the Plaza. The president was carried to the Cathedral, where he later died. A plaque marks the spot where he was attacked.