Plaza de Mayo

Main article: The sector where it currently was occupied by the first Jesuit mission that arrived in the area, until in 1661 they moved to the area now known as the Manzana de las Luces. For a time there was a Recova dividing the square into two: a sector called “Plaza Mayor” which would later be known as “Victory,” and another known as “Plaza del Fuerte”, later renamed as “Market” and “May 25”. At the center of this square is the Piramide de Mayo, an obelisk was originally built of mud for the first anniversary of the Revolution of May. In the area east of the square is the equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano opened in 1873, the sculptor Albert Carrier-Ernst-Belleuse (although the horse was sculpted in bronze by the Argentine Manuel de Santa Coloma).
To the east of the Plaza de Mayo are the Casa Rosada, seat of the executive branch of Argentina since 1862. Alli worked formerly Fort Buenos Aires (Fortaleza Real de Don Juan Baltasar Austria), which was partially demolished in 1853 and in total in 1882. The facade is characterized by a particular color pink, and the lack of symmetry as a result of the partial demolition of the south wing in 1938. Behind the Government House there is a pit where you can see the ruins of the New Customs and Taylor, built between 1855 and 1857. The building, semicircular structure was designed by architect Edward Taylor and a few decades became a symbol of the city. The office was installed there since the late nineteenth century until the Rio de la Plata stretched almost to where it is now the Plaza Colon, a few meters east of the Casa Rosada.
East may be cited as the Plaza Colon, at its center is the Monument to Columbus. Done in honor of Christopher Columbus was built by Arnaldo Zocchi in Carrara marble, and was a gift from the Italian community in Argentina for the centenary of the Revolution of May. The stone was installed the inaugural May 24 1910 and was brought from Italy disarmed along with author, recently opened in 1921. The base of the monument has a door that leads to a crypt that was to be used as the Columbian Museum, a project that never took place. At present there is the historical center of the city. Northwest of the square is the Square June 11, 1580, which installed a monument to Juan de Garay. The monument, which was the work of German artist Gustav Eberlein, was completed in 1915 and in the same square was planted a sapling of the Tree of Guernica, symbol of the Basque people.
To the south of the Plaza de Mayo is the building of the Federal Administration of Public Revenue (AFIP), is built on the site occupying the house of Antonio Gonzalez Balcarce and the former Congress of Argentina. The site was originally a meat market, then became the headquarters of Patricios Regiment between 1864 and 1905 and hosted the national legislature. Of this ancient building was preserved only the meeting room, which allowed the 800 spectators present, and the entrance hall of the furniture. Also found inside the library of the National Academy of History, which is in the location of this house Balcarce. In its granite wall near the exit of the subway to Plaza de Mayo are the only sign of machine-gun air June 16, 1955, with the bombing of the Plaza de Mayo.
Towards the southwest, is the Palace of Legislature of Buenos Aires, where does the legislative branch of the City of Buenos Aires. Opened in 1931, was designed by architect Hector Ayerza using French academic style. In your face has a complex of 26 artistic statues that symbolize various elements related to city government. It also stresses a viewpoint of 95 meters high which has five bells (called The Santa Maria, La Pinta, La Nina, LaBuenos Aires and Argentina) and a clock of four quadrants. It can be seen that besides a Carillon has 30 bells of varying weight, exceeding the greater of 4 tons.
To the west of the Plaza de Mayo, south of Avenida de Mayo is the Cabildo de Buenos Aires, which for centuries was the highest authority of the city. Part of its facade was demolished for the extension of Avenida de Mayo and Diagonal Sur, removing six of its eleven arches. What is left of it was completely rebuilt in 1940 to give an appearance similar to that which was in 1810. Some rooms of the Town for a time were used as dungeons, and can be seen from the courtyard of the building.
Directed to the west of the Plaza de Mayo in the north of Avenida de Mayo, is the Government Palace in Buenos Aires, the seat of executive power of the City.


by Ralph R. Roberts, Rachel Dollar, and Joe Kraynak (Paperback – Aug 7, 2007)