Masaya [1]’s central plaza is officially called Parque 17 de Octubre, named for a battle against Somoza’s Guardia in 1977. Plenty of remaining bullet holes are testimony, plus two imposing command towers immediately to the west. The church in the northeast corner is La Parroquia La Asunción.
The unremarkable, triangular Plaza de Monimbó park on the southern side of Masaya comes to life every afternoon at around 3 p.m. as the throbbing social and commercial heart of the mostly indigenous Monimbó neighborhood.
The Museo y Galería Héroes y Mártires (inside the Alcaldía, 1.5 blocks north of the park, open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri., donation requested) pays tribute to those Masayans who fought Somoza’s National Guard during the revolution with a collection of guns and photos of the fallen but the highlight is the unexploded napalm bomb Somoza dropped on the city in ’77.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/nicaragua/masaya/masaya-city