Located in barrio Ciudad Vieja, since 1726 was the plaza mayor of the Fortress City of San Felipe and Santiago of Montevideo, in which it was the only open public space.

[2] From that moment on, official events and celebrations, both civil and military, were held in the space, as well as bullfights, since a bullring was located in the square.

On May 13, 1871, the water pumped from the Santa Lucía River to the Plaza Constitución arrived for the first time;[5] Finally, the fountain was formally inaugurated by President Lorenzo Batlle y Grau on July 18.

[6] The fountain is a design by architect Juan Manuel Ferrari, and is composed of a circular pool with an ornate column at its center that takes the form of three dishes that open in decreasing size.

[9][10] Surrounding the square are the Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral, main Roman Catholic in the city to the west, and the Cabildo to the east.