The Plaza de Armas is framed to the north by the cathedral and on its three other sides by a double row of arcades with sturdy granite pillars and brick vaults, with the snow-capped peak of the Misti volcano in the distance. The square is always lively and frequently the scene of political demonstrations, parades and town festivities. In the centre, a handsome bronze fountain whose three superimposed basins are crowned by a delicate statue of El Tuturutu, said to have founded the city.