Plaza Maria Pita in A Coruña, Spain

You begin to see the plaza as parts of it starts to peek through the imposing arches surrounding the plaza in the old part of town. 

The massive, rectangular plaza is surprising in its sheer size at 10,000 square meters. It is surrounded by government buildings including the town’s city hall designed in classic Gallaecian architecture. 

At its center is the plaza’s most interesting feature, a statue of Maria Pita, the local heroine for which the plaza is named.

During the Battle of the Armada of 1589, the British invaded A Coruña attacking the city walls. The locals defended the town valiantly. They included a young man carrying the town’s banner and his wife, Maria Pita. The young man was shot dead. His wife took up the town’s banner crying “those with honor follow me” and led the offensive.

The cry rallied the troops who eventually repulsed the invaders. Maria Pita was declared a heroine and awarded a soldiers pension by the King of Spain. 

Today, her statue looks over the plaza she helped save from invaders.