The Republic Square (Náměstí Republiky) is located on the site of the ancient moat that separated the Old Town from the New Town. This vast esplanade, which extends in the immediate vicinity of the medieval town, led to the construction of many important monuments in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Examples include the Municipal House, near the Powder Tower, the Hybernia Palace and the Jiří z Poděbrad Barracks (Palladium). Most of the square is a pedestrian zone that connects the two shopping centers Palladium and Kotva.