The obelisk marks the precise center of the continent, as calculated by legendary Brazilian explorer Candido Rondon. A marker was first erected at the site in 1909, and the obelisk was built in 1975. The site was originally an open field used for more than just bullfighting, but as the area developed, buildings were filled in around it, and the obelisk now forms the center of a modern government plaza, anchored by the city council headquarters. Years later, with the advent of satellite mapping, a more precise geographic center of the continent was calculated, located just 28 miles from Rondon’s original location.