It was named after Don Vicente Zaldívar de Mendoza, the Maestre de Campo of the Royal Army Exercises.

It was in this square where Maestro Genaro Codina premiered the Marcha Zacatecas in September 1893.

To the east of the square is the Government Palace, a building dating back to the 18th century, and on the opposite side is the Palacio de la Mala Noche, which belonged to Manuel de Réteguil, an important miner of the 18th century. The name of the building derives from the name of the mine that made him wealthy, and currently, it houses the state judiciary.