La Rotonda brings to life the meeting between Bolívar and San Martín. A historic moment engraved in this iconic monument of the city.
Words & Photos: Trail Forth Journal.
The Hemiciclo La Rotonda, located in the centre of the Malecón 2000, reminds us that Guayaquil is a centre of secret and historical encounters. It commemorates the famous “Conversation of Guayaquil”, held on 26 July 1822 by the liberators Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín, a milestone in the city’s history that over time has become another representative feature of the urban environment.
La Rotonda.
Hemiciclo La Rotonda.
The work was carried out by Sociedad Constructora Nacional Fénix and completed in 1929. Originally designed as a roundabout with an impressive ensemble of sculptures, the marble Entrevista de Guayaquil proved inefficient for the flow of traffic and was therefore converted into a semicircle.
In 1935, the council awarded the commission to Spanish sculptor José Antonio Homs and the overall design of the architectural project to sculptor Juan Rovira. The work was completed in May 1938. It was in the hemicycle of La Rotonda that the two figures met.
La Rotonda
Trail Forth Journal
Jairo Cabrera
🇪🇨 Ecuador
Editor
