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Plaza de Francia , enclosed on three sides by the seaward defensive walls, is the site of a monument dedicated to the thousands of workers who died during the disastrous French attempt to build the canal. The centrepiece of the monument is an obelisk topped by a proud Gallic cockerel which is ringed by busts of some of the key figures involved, including Ferdinand de Lesseps. There is also a plaque dedicated to Carlos Finlay, the Cuban doctor whose ground-breaking research on the causes of malaria and yellow fever was so important to the later success of the US canal. The Neoclassical French Embassy overlooks the square from the north, fronted by a statue of Mario Arosemena, a Panamanian politician who gave crucial support to the French venture. The elegant building to the east was formerly the Palace of Justice, badly damaged during the US invasion in 1989 and now home to the National Cultural Institute. In the colonial period the square was a military centre, and the vaults under the seaward walls served as the city's jails - built below sea-level, they would sometimes flood at high tide, drowning the unfortunate prisoners within. Known as Las Bovedas, some of the vaults have been restored: one houses a French restaurant. From the square, steps lead up to the Paseo Las Bovedas , also known as the Esteban Huertas Promenade, which runs some 400m along the top of the defensive wall, all the way around the plaza and back to the corner of C 1 and Av A. Partially shaded by bougainvillea and with panoramic views, this is a popular place for courting couples.
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