Tourist spoiler: there is no real historical center filled with monuments of various eras in Managua. The old city is rather a territorial than a visual concept there. This happened after the earthquake of 1972 when the center was destroyed. New retail outlets and hotels were built in other areas of the city: these popular sites became the basis of the modern, scattered urban structure of Managua.

However, part of the old center remained intact. Several buildings were built before the earthquake and have survived to this day. A good example is the St. James' Cathedral, or simply the Old Cathedral (Antigua Catedral de Managua). This impressive temple was not destroyed but damaged. Today it looks like an orphan building in the heart of the capital: it rises above the city center with a spectacular silhouette. The entrance to the public is closed for security reasons.

This is just one of the key buildings on Revolution square. It is often called Republic Square (Plaza de la República) as it was before the revolutionary events of 1979. The sculptural inhabitants of this space are monuments to the heroes of Nicaragua, including revolutionary Carlos Fonseca Amador and modernist poet Rubén Darío. You can see them in small Central Park, relax and continue exploring the perimeter of the square.

Next to the Old Cathedral  there is a modern building. It was built as a Presidential House, but it is not used as it by the current Executive administration. And on the south side of Republic Square there is an even more impressive neoclassical building, the National Palace of Culture (Palacio de la Cultura). The building partially functions as the National Museum.

The importance of Revolution Square in the historic center of Managua is similar to the importance of the most representative room in a house. It is a public open urban space where residents gather for various events. In the past, this place became the site of the triumph of the Sandinista People's Revolution (1979).