The Community Gathers at the Plaza

The Community Gathers at the Plaza. Mission San Luis de Apalachee. You are standing on the edge of the main plaza of the village of San Luis. The path you are following traces the edge of the plaza that was the central hub of commerce and activities for the mission. Traditionally, both Spaniards and Apalachee built large, central plazas in their communities. , , Juan De Paiva . Juan de Paiva, pastor at San Luis, wrote a description of the ball game and his perception of its evils as part of his campaign to stop the game. Two native interpreters provided many of the details about the origins and religious practices associated with the ball game. , (captions) , At 410 feet in diameter, the circular plaza was about the size of a modern football field. An open and expansive area, the treeless, packed-clay plaza was the site of many community activities. , , On any given day, the plaza might have been filled with people and activities: soldiers marching, merchants trading, and children playing.