Plaza de España (lit. Spain Square), is the largest square in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the Canary Islands (Spain). The square is located in the centre of town, 1.4 km north of the Auditorio de Tenerife. This square is considered one of the "main squares" of the island of Tenerife, together with the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna in San Cristóbal de La Laguna and the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias in Candelaria. It hosts an artificial lake fountain, a work of Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. The square was built in 1929 on the historic Castillo de San Cristóbal, a bastion for defending the island of piracy, currently there are only a few walls of the original building on display in a tunnel under the square. Recently the square was refurbished by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. The Plaza de España is surrounded by the Palacio Insular de Tenerife, the Palacio de la Carta and the Plaza de la Candelaria. In the centre of the square stands Monumento a los Caídos (a tribute to the fallen in the Spanish Civil War). Location The plaza is located between Calle del Castillo and the port of Santa Cruz. History Castle of San Cristóbal The location of the square was originally the site of the San Cristóbal Castle, which was the city's main line of defense, responsible for defending the port. Construction of the plaza The creation of the plaza was first conceived in the 19th century. The square was constructed in 1929. Refurbishment The park was refurbished by Herzog & de Meuron in 2006. The refurbishment added a pond and pavilions. In June 2006 the remains of the castle were rediscovered, leading to the creation of an underground gallery to display the castle remains. Featured sculptures Tourist sign A large sign of the tourist brand of the city (introduced in September 2016) is located at one end of the plaza, adjacent to the lake. The sign reads "Santa Cruz", short for the tourist slogan of "Santa Cruz, el corazón de Tenerife" - "Santa Cruz, the heart of Tenerife". The letters are white except for the last "a" of the word Santa, which is an inverted blue heart, on top of which is an upright green heart. Erected in December 2016, the structure is long and high (double that height at the hearts).