<![CDATA[<P>the whole western hillside of the vast square, which had for
centuries been used as a giant Indian open-air market, or
Tianguez, for traders from every region.
Due to the importance of the Plaza San Francisco in the following
centuries, various wealthy families built their homes around it,
among them Casa de San Miguel. This beautiful mansion later
became the residence of several Republican-era presidents. But in
1915, disaster struck and the house suffered a calamitous fire. It
was completely rebuilt in 1926 by its last owners, the Gangotenas,
one of the capitals leading families, whose members included
important industrialists, politicians, landowners, academics and
even poets. In 1978 Quito was declared the first UNESCO Heritage
Site, considered the largest and best preserved Colonial Quarter in
the Americas. The Casona de San Miguel is part of the cultural
heritage inventory.</p>
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