Plaza de Francia (France Square), Panama City

France Square commemorates the French effort to build the Panama Canal in the late 19th century and features statues, plaques, and large stone tablets that recount this ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful undertaking.

At the center of the square, rising from a circular platform, stands a monument honoring the thousands of workers who died during the French canal attempt, including the ones from Martinique and Guadeloupe islands. Most fatalities were caused by yellow fever and malaria, diseases that devastated the workforce and contributed significantly to the project’s collapse. The commonly cited figure of around 20,000 deaths reflects historical estimates rather than an exact count.

Another prominent feature, along the seaward edge of the square, directly facing the Pacific Ocean, is the monument to Dr. Carlos J. Finlay, the Cuban physician who identified mosquitoes as the vector for yellow fever transmission. Although his discovery was not immediately accepted, it later became central to disease-control measures implemented during the American canal effort. These advances dramatically reduced mortality rates in Panama and played a key role in making the canal’s completion possible.

Running along the eastern side of the square, built into the old city walls below the promenade level, is the The Vaults Promenade, a series of 18th-century stone vaults built into the old city walls. Originally constructed by the Spanish for storage and military purposes, some vaults were later used as prison cells. Today, the arched chambers house shops, galleries, and cafes, while much of the original masonry remains visible.