The Plaza Bolivar is a square in Valencia, Venezuela. It occupies a central site, and is used for public meetings. Its origin was in the colonial period, when the city was laid out on a grid plan.(see note) Some buildings in the vicinity, such as the Cathedral date from the colonial period. The square was renamed after Simón Bolívar in the 19th century. The centrepiece of the square is a monumental column celebrating Venezuela's independence. Inaugurated in 1889, the column commemorates Bolívar and specifically his victory at the battle of Carabobo in 1821.