Buenos Aires - sightseeing

It is one of the most ancient districts of the city. Until the end of the 19th century it was, with Monserrat, the most prestigious residential area. With the yellow fever epidemic of 1871 the richer families abandoned the area, and the houses were rented, often to immigrants. Recently the old houses have been transformed into artists’ ateliers, antique shops, restaurants and night clubs.

Plaza Coronel Dorrego: every weekend this square hosts an important flea market.

Parque Lezama: according to tradition, this was the place where the city was first founded by Don Pedro de Mendoza in 1536. The area was owned by Gregorio Lezama, and his former house is now the National History Museum. The park is the site of an artisan exhibition, which takes place every weekend.

San Telmo church: Built by the Jesuits in 1734, it became a military building when the Jesuits were expelled in 1767. In 1795 it was given back to the Catholic Church.

This district is very important because of the eponymous train station, and the bus station beside it. The area around Plaza San Martìn has several hotels and the offices of most airlines. It is an elegant residential district, and one of the most important shopping areas of the city.

Plaza San Martìn: it has been the site of several important historic events. During the British invasion in 1807 it was the site of a battle in defence of the city, and was then given the name “Campo de la Gloria”. Later it became the site of the Horse Regiment created by the General San Martìn, which fought important battles in the independence wars.

Kavanagh Building: designed by Sanchez Lago in 1936. It is a 30 storey cement tower, 120 metres tall. For a long time it was the tallest building in the city.

It is one of the most exclusive districts of Buenos Aires, with beautiful mansions in French Neoclassical style, in stark contrast with the modern skyscrapers and towers. It avenues are very elegant and the area is full of stylish restaurants, cafés, antique shops and expensive houses.

Most interesting monuments: The Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, the Casa de Ricardo Rojas.

Cementerio del Norte o de la Recoleta: it is the first public cemetery of the city (meaning: not belonging to a church), opened in 1822. Here are the tombs of several of the most important men and women in Argentinian history, including Evita Peron.

Basilica del Pilar: It was built, together to the adjacent convent, between 1716 and 1731. It has remained unchanged since then. It has a very simple façade, with one tower. The back features a peculiar spherical clock. The inside has a single aisle, and has a beautiful baroque altar.

Convento de los Recoletos Franciscanos: It was built together with the Basilica del Pilar. It belonged to the Franciscan Monks until 1822, when it was taken over by the State. Since then, it has been used as prison, as military barracks, as a mental hospital and as a retirement house. In 1978 it has been restored and used as a cultural centre.

City of Buenos Aires Cultural Centre: it is located on what was the Recoletos Franciscanos convent, which has been restored and given a new function. It is used by the city museums to host temporary exhibitions, and organizes several cultural initiatives.

Casa de Ricardo Rojas: It in Marcelo T. de Alvear 2837. It is a house in colonial style, a copy of the Casa Històrica de Tucumàn. It is a library and museum dedicated to the writer Ricardo Rojas.

It is a residential area, with houses surrounded by gardens. It is one of the biggest districts of the city, with big parks, lakes, wide avenues with tall trees. There are several beautiful buildings, several of which now host embassies. The Roca Museum, the Instituto de Investigaciones Històricas, the Fine Arts Museum are all worth a visit.

Plaza Italia: it is one of the most important stops of all public means of transportation. There’s a statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, a hero of Italian independence, a gift of the Italian community.

Jardin Zoologico: it opened doors in 1874. It is interesting not only because of its animals, but for its lakes, fountains, sculptures, and most of all for the beautiful buildings where the animals are kept.

Sociedad Rural Argentina: It has been the site of a big agricultural exhibition since 1885. It is the site of several exhibitions and fairs.

Jardin Botanico: it was created in 1892 thanks to the influence of the French naturalist Carlos Thays, and has a total surface of about 77,000 square metres. It hosts about 5,000 different species of plants. It hosts the city’s gardening school, a specialized library and a botanic museum.

Parque Tres de Febrero: It has a surface of about 400 hectares. There are several gardens and parks, as well as notable works of art, amongst which the Monument to Sarmiento, by August Rodin. The Patio Andaluz is a beautiful terrace with a fountain and seats covered with majolica mosaics.

Museos Nacionales de Arte Decorativo y de Arte Oriental: both are located in one of the most beautiful buildings of the early 20th century, built in French Neoclassical style in 1911.

This is one of the oldest districts of the city, and until the end of last century was inhabited mostly by wealthy families. Houses usually had a bottom floor and a first floor with belvedere. The only ornament in the house was the frame dividing the two floors, and on which the railing of the balcony rested. The best example of this kind of houses are the “altos de Altolaguirre”, located on the corner between Defensa and Alsina. The churches date back to the XVII century and the oldest private house to the XVIII.

There are several museums: the Antiguo Congreso Nacional, the Històrico Nacional del Traje, the Museo de la Ciudad, and many others. You should visit:

Monuments: Casa de Balcarce – Cabildo – Casa de Gobierno – Cathedral – Basilica de San Francisco and Capilla de San Roque – Case de Liniers – San Ignacio Church – Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires – Manzana de la Luces – Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Rosario and Santo Domingo Convent – San Juan Batuista Church – Antigua Casa de Moneda.

Plaza de Mayo: formerly called Plaza Mayor, designed by Juan de Garay when the city was founded, on July, 11th, 1580. It has been the centre of the most important historical events, and still is the place where major political rallies take place. Right in the centre of the square, there’s the Piramide de Mayo, which commemorates the Mayo revolution, which took place in 1810. The pyramid was designed by Pirilidiano Pueyrredon in 1856.

Avenida de Mayo: it connects the Government Palace to the Congress Palace. It is the area with the most important hotels, and there are several famous cafés, including Tortoni with its beautiful Art Nouveau decoration, and theatres like Avenida, which is famous because it’s where major plays by Jacinto Benavente and Federico Garcia Lorca have had their premiere.

Monumento a los dos Congresos: designed by Jules Lagae and Eugenio D’Huique, it consists in two battle tanks; the bigger of the two has a sculpture on top, which depicts the Rio de la Plata, Paranà and Uruguay rivers. On the back there’s a female figure, which represents the Republic, accompanied by two other which represent the 1813 Assembly and the 1816 Congress, which declared the independence of Argentina.

Palacio del Congreso Nacional: it is located in Avenida Entre Rios, between Rivadavia and Hipolito Yrigoyen. It was finished in 1906, and is a good example of the style that goes by the name of Italian Academicism, with neoclassical references.

This district has been built mostly by immigrants, mostly Italians. Its predominant characteristic are its low houses, in wood and sheet-steel, painted in bright colours and built above ground level to protect them from flooding. The tangled cobblestone alleys, the boat cemetery, the warehouses, make it the prototypical port area.

The National Fine Arts Musem, the La Boca Museum, the Argentinian Artists Musem are all well worth a visit.

Plaza Solis: it is one of the most typical squares in the area, with its port structures and sheet-steel houses.

Puente Nicolas Avellaneda: it connects the Federal Capital with the Buenos Aires province, over the Riachuelo river; the view from the bridge is great.

Vuelta de Rocha: it is located on the shores of the Richauelo, between the Pedro de Mendoza and the Valle Iberlucea streets. In this place admiral Guillermo Brown installed the first shipyard, to repair ships using in the fight for independence against Brazil.

Pasaje Caminito: it is and old railway, transformed in a pedestrian street. There are no doors facing it, only windows and balconies. Along the Pasaje, there are several sculptures by prominent Argentinian artists, such as Luis Perlotti, Roberto Capurro, A. Ibarra Garcia, Antonio Sassone and many others. There’s a daily fair-exhibition of sculptures.

Calle Neocochea: it is one of the streets with the best night clubs, “cantinas” and “tabernas”.