# Praça da Sé

Praça da Sé (English: See Square) is a public space in São Paulo, Brazil. Considered as the city's central point, it is the point from where the distance of all roads passing through São Paulo are counted. The square was the location of many historical events in São Paulo's history, most notably during the Diretas Já movement. The name originates from the episcopal see of the city, the São Paulo Cathedral.

## History

Originally known as Largo da Sé (Field of the See), the square developed around the religious building which preceded the cathedral and surrounding edifices. At the beginning of the 20th century, older structures were demolished, and the downtown area was reconstructed according to the time's urban planning. Its geography has remained mostly unchanged since.

### Landscape project

The current landscape is the result of a 1970s project by architects led by José Eduardo de Assis Lefèvre. The opening of a nearby São Paulo Metro station required the leveling of an entire city block, requiring an entirely new landscaping infrastructure.
The architects were heavily influenced by contemporary landscaping works underway on the US's west coast (such as those by Lawrence Halprin), characterized by rigorous geometry, through multiple levels with reflecting pools and prism-like land masses.

### Renovation

The square underwent a significant revitalization during 2006, having been partially re-inaugurated on January 25, 2007 (the city's anniversary) by then-mayor Gilberto Kassab. The renovation came under intense criticism by NGOs working with the homeless who claimed that the new square reduced the space available for existing homeless people
The renovation includes the relocation of flower boxes, the increase in the integration between existing sculptures and their surroundings, and the introduction of pedestrian overpasses over the existing reflecting pools.

## Monuments

| Name | Creator | Year of creation | Material | Category on Commons |
| Abertura | Amílcar de Castro | 1979 | iron | Abertura by Amilcar de Castro |
| Condor | Bruno Giorgi | 1979 | bronze | Condor by Bruno Giorgi (bronze, 1979) |
| Diálogo | Franz Weissmann | 1979 | steel | Diálogo by Franz Weissmann |
| Emblem of São Paulo | Rubem Valentim | 1979 | concrete reinforced concrete | Emblema de São Paulo by Rubem Valentim |
| Espaço Cósmico | Yutaka Toyota | 1979 | stainless steel granite steel | Espaço Cósmico |
| Garatuja | Marcello Nitsche | 1979 | zinc iron steel polyurethane | Garatuja |
| Impacto | Mário Cravo | | stainless steel granite | Impacto by Mário Cravo |
| José de Anchieta | Heitor Usai | 1954 | bronze | José de Anchieta by Heitor Usai (bronze, 1954) |
| Number zero survey marker of the city of São Paulo | Jean Gabriel Villin | | marble bronze granite | Marco Zero (São Paulo) |
| Nuvem sobre a Cidade | Nicolas Vlavianos | 1979 | stainless steel steel | Nuvem sobre a Cidade by Nicolas Vlavianos |
| Quadro-Negro | José Resende | | concrete iron | Quadro-Negro by José Resende |
| Satélite | Francisco Stockinger | | granite concrete | Satélite by Francisco Stockinger (sculpture, 1978) |
| Sé Totem | Doménico Calabrone | | granite concrete marble | Totem da Sé |
| Sem título | Sérgio Camargo | | marble | Sculpture by Sérgio de Camargo (Praça da Sé) |
| The Birds | Felícia Leirner | 1979 | bronze granite | Os Pássaros by Felícia Leirner |
| Voo | Caciporé Torres | 1979 | stainless steel concrete steel | Voo by Caciporé Torres |