Buenos Aires Plaza De Mayo And Surroundings

Plaza De Mayo. The Plaza de Mayo has long been a hotbed of political activity. In the 16th century, Juan de Garay first began mapping out Buenos Aires here in the Spanish style grid style. Later, in 1945, Eva Perón ascended to superstardom here as she rallied the masses and called for the release of her husband, Juan Perón, from prison. Massive crowds of porteños continued to gather in the Plaza through the late 1940s, assembling to hear the speeches of the beloved Evita and Juan. The rallies also became bombing targets for anti-Peronists. For thirty years, the Madres (see Los Madres) protested the murders of the military dictatorship of 1976-83 during the Dirty War . Most recently, droves of citizens banging pots and pans gathered in the square during the Argentine economic crisis in late 2001, forcing then-President Fernando de la Rúa out of office. Today, political activists still congregate in its center, and there’s some kind of protest nearly every day—often attended by interested, albeit somewhat oblivious, tourists. At the center of the Plaza is a small obelisk, the Pirámide de Mayo, erected in 1811 in honor of the 1810 May Revolution (for which the Plaza is named) that ultimately culminated in independence in 1816. We know—that’s a lot of dates to remember, but don’t worry, there’s no pop quiz on any of this stuff. French sculptor Joseph Dubourdieu designed the monument, which has been renovated and moved around the square multiple times since. Azucena Villaflor, the founder of the Madres de la Plaza, is buried at the base of the obelisk. (S Plaza de Mayo.)

Casa De Gobierno (Casa Rosada). At the Plaza’s eastern end stands Buenos Aires’ very pink presidential palace. Originally the city’s fort, the edifice was remodeled as a palace over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries, when painting stately buildings pink was more common, and when ox blood was used to create the color. Oxes everywhere, breathe a sigh of relief: we’re pretty sure that blood isn’t used for new coats of paint today. So why pink? Some maintain that President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento , the fellow who named it Casa Rosada in the first place, painted it that color as a symbolic union of the country’s warring political parties, the Reds (Federalists) and Whites (Unitarios). Others believe that he just liked pink, long before it was metrosexually popular. Regardless, since Sarmiento, numerous presidents and political figures, including Juan and Eva Perón, have given speeches from the building’s balconies. Recently, the Casa Rosada has been opened to the public, though as of 2008, it was closed indefinitely for renovation; the building’s small museum , however, remains open. (S Plaza de Mayo.)

Cabildo. Across from the Casa Rosada, the 18th-century Cabildo is the only remaining building of its period in Monserrat. Construction started in 1725, but went through various stages of remodeling and further construction until 1810. Surrounded by more imposing buildings, it seems out of place, though the contrast is an interesting sight to behold. Originally extending the length of the Plaza de Mayo, the Cabildo housed the city council and city jail from its establishment until 1822. Today, the interior holds a small museum . Parts of the original structure were demolished twice in the name of progress, most recently in the 1880s when the Avenida de Mayo was widened after the example of Paris’ grand avenue, Champs d’Élysées. Oh, BA—eternally attempting to be like Paris, and succeeding in doing so. (S Plaza de Mayo.)

Catedral Metropolitana. Though it’s not the most beautiful in Buenos Aires, this cathedral, BA’s main Catholic church, is nevertheless an imposing and important historical sight. While a church has occupied this spot since the 16th century, the cathedral in its current incarnation was not completed until 1827. The building is a smorgasbord of different architectural styles. Some of the interior details are Baroque and rococo, while the distinctive feature of the exterior is its massive Neoclassical facade. Though the interior shows a few signs of wear, the intricate silver-plated altar is worth a look, as is the tomb of Argentine independence superhero General José de San Martín, which is guarded by statues representing Argentina, Peru, and Chile. Though the general died in exile in Europe in 1850, his body was brought back to Buenos Aires in 1880. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Independence is also nearby. (S Plaza de Mayo. ☎4345 3369. Open M-F 8am-7pm, Sa-Su 9am-7:30pm. Guided tours of the cathedral and crypt M-F 11am. Free.)