Helsinki’s historic central square and former trading centre, Senate Square was the site of a town hall, church and cemetery already in the 1640s. The location of the old wooden church is still marked in the cobblestones. Archaeological excavations uncovered over 130 graves beneath the square. Today, it serves as a venue for public events and a place where people meet. The Government Palace (1818) was the first major building in Helsinki designed by Carl Lud - vig Engel. The Corinthian columns of the Palace reflect the power of the state. Engel also designed the main building of what is now the University of Helsinki on the opposite side of the square.