There are many landmarks in Buenos Aires, Argentina, some of which are of considerable historical or artistic interest.
Monuments.
Monumento de los Españoles.
The "Monumento a La Carta Magna y las Cuatro Regiones Argentinas" is situated in the Sarmiento y Libertador avenues part of the Palermo district. It was raised by the Spanish community in 1910 for the Centennial of the Revolution of May, and it is commonly referred to as the "Spanish Monument" ("Monumento De los Españoles"). The colossal work is 24.5 meters high, created in marble from Carrara and brass by the Spanish sculptor Agustí Querol Subirats.
In March 1916, the ocean liner "Príncipe de Asturias" from Barcelona was wrecked 90 miles from Rio de Janeiro. In this accident, more than 450 people died and the load of marble ornaments and brass that composed the statuary of the monument was lost in the depths of the ocean. The following year, replicas were requested for those lost in the shipwreck. Finally, May 25, 1927 the count of Amalfi, on behalf of the king Alfonso XIII, made a symbolic delivery of the work to the president Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear.
Monument of General Manuel Belgrano.
This monument of the general Manuel Belgrano, one of the greatest heroes of Argentine History, is in the Plaza de Mayo. It is a bronze equestrian statue on a large granite pedestal, showing Belgrano holding aloft the flag of Argentina. It was inaugurated in 1873, created by the French sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse and Argentine Manuel de Santa Coloma. The monument was erected by public funding in gratitude to the general.
Manuel Belgrano was an economist, lawyer, politician, and military leader, born in Buenos Aires. He founded the "Escuela de Naútica" (School of Navigation) in 1799. After the Spanish rule was overthrown in 1810, Belgrano was appointed general by the first autonomous government of Argentina. Belgrano led an ill-fated military campaign to Paraguay, and also led the Jujuy Exodus, which prepared the ground for victories of the Argentine War of Independence in the northwest of the country in the Battle of Tucumán (1812) and Battle of Salta (1813). Belgrano was one of the leaders of the Argentine Declaration of Independence, promulgated on July 9, 1816.
Monument of the Two Congresses.
The "Monumento de los dos Congresos" in the Plaza des los Dos Congresos in the Monserrat district, was created in stone from Nancy. The monument was designed by the Belgian architect Eugène D'Huicque and the bronze statues are the work of the Belgian artist Jules Lagae. It was created in Brussels, finished in 1909, and inaugurated in Buenos Aires on July 9, 1914
The monument celebrates the centenary of the 1816 declaration of independence. The central figure represents the Republic on the march, with snake faces and an allegory of abundance at its feet. The two lateral figures represent the assembly of 1813 and the congress of 1816. There are also other representations of national fauna, notably of horses and condors.
Mast in Plaza Colombia.
This mast is in the center of the Plaza Colombia, in the Barracas district. The mast and brass sculptural group: "Hoisting the Flag" was created by the sculptor Julio C. Vergottini. The brass piece was cast in Colombia and donated by the Government of Bogotá to Buenos Aires in 1940.
Monument to Christopher Columbus.
The monument of Christopher Columbus (ca. 1451-1506) was located between La Casa Rosada (government house) and La Avenida La Rabida. The monument was a gift celebrating the 1910 Centennial of Argentinean independence from Spain, from the Buenos Aires Italian community, led by Italian immigrant Antonio Devoto.
A work of the Italian sculptor Arnoldo Zocchi, the foundation stone of the monument was placed on May 24, 1910, but the monument was not inaugurated until June 15, 1921. The monument is 26 meters tall and weighs 623 tons. The column in the center was made of a single 6.25m tall block of Carrara marble that weighed 38 tons. The monument was created in Italy, divided into nineteen sections, and shipped to Buenos Aires, where it arrived on April 14, 1921. It suffered some damage during a bombardment in 1955. In June 2013 the monument was taken down causing a controversy and replaced by a monument to mestiza revolutionary fighter in the War of Independence, Juana Azurduy de Padilla, which itself was subsequently moved.
Monument to José Manuel Estrada.
This monument in the Plaza Loria is to the late-19th-century historian, journalist and publicist José Manuel Estrada, a leading Catholic intellectual and politician in Buenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century.
The sculpture of Estrada was ordered in 1937 by the municipality of Buenos Aires and inaugurated on 11 November 1947. It was created by the sculptor Héctor Rocha, who also created a statue of General Manuel Belgrano in the plaza Manuel Belgrano, inaugurated in 1961, and the "Monumento a Guillermo Rawson" described below.
Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi.
The Monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi is an equestrian sculpture featuring Giuseppe Garibaldi, located on Plaza Italia, in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and had to flee Italy after a failed insurrection. He then contributed to the independence of Uruguay, leading the Italian Legion in the Uruguayan Civil War, and afterwards returned to Italy as a commander in the conflicts of the Risorgimento. He has been dubbed the "Hero of the Two Worlds" in tribute to his military expeditions in both South America and Europe.
Donated to the city by Italian residents, the monument was built by Italian sculptor Eugenio Maccagnani as a replica of the one located in Brescia, Italy, and was inaugurated on June 19, 1904.
Monument to General Juan Lavalle.
The monument is the work of the sculptor Pedro Costa, located in a circle on Tucumán street. It is made of marble and sandstone. It has a strong base and a column that supports the statue. It was carried out by the initiative of a Commission presided over by Bartolomé Mitre during the intendency of Torcuato of Alvear.
Juan Lavalle was in the army that besieged Montevideo in 1813. He continued to participate in the struggles between the successor states of the Spanish provinces, fighting with great bravery and steadily rising in rank. In the Battle of Ituzaingó in February 1827, he beat the forces of General Abreu and was himself proclaimed General on the field of battle. Lavalle organised the Unitarian revolution of December 1828, after which he was chosen governor of Buenos Aires Province. One of his unfortunate decisions was to execute former governor Manuel Dorrego, which ignited a civil war. After the "Convention of Barracas" agreement with Juan Manuel de Rosas, he retired to the Banda Oriental (nowadays Uruguay) In 1839, with support from exiled objectors to Rosas' government, he arrived in Entre Ríos Province and advanced towards Buenos Aires in order to overthrow Rosas. However, he was unsuccessful and was accidentally shot dead in 1841.
By a "strange coincidence" the Monumento al General Lavalle was erected in front of the residence of Felicia Dorrego, the former governor's daughter.
Monument to Mariano Moreno.
The monument to Mariano Moreno is in Plaza Mariano Moreno. It opened on 1 October 1910. The statue was created by Miguel Blay y Fábregas.
Mariano Moreno was a lawyer, journalist and politician who played a decisive role in the May Revolution that led to the declaration of independence of Argentina from Spain. Moreno was a secretary in the First Junta that replaced the viceroy of Spain. He suppressed the uprising of Santiago de Liniers in Córdoba (whom he had executed later), and organized the liberating expedition to Upper Peru. He was then removed from office by Cornelio Saavedra.
Moreno created the first Argentine newspaper, "La Gazeta de Buenos Aires". He summarized his thoughts on economics in his 1809 book "Representación de los hacendados y labradores", which, following the physiocratic doctrine, proposed the stimulation of agriculture to develop an economy that was very dependent on international trade and its undesirable consequence, contraband.
Pirámide de Mayo.
The Pirámide de Mayo ("May Pyramid"), located in the center of the Plaza de Mayo, is the oldest national monument in Buenos Aires. Its construction was ordered in 1811 by the Primera Junta to celebrate the first anniversary of the May Revolution. It was renovated in 1856, under the direction of Prilidiano Pueyrredón. In 1912, after having undergone numerous modifications, it was moved 63 meters to the east, with the idea that a much larger monument would eventually be constructed around it.
The monument is crowned by an allegory of Liberty, the work of the French sculptor Joseph Dubourdieu. From the ground to the peak of the statue's Phrygian cap, the Pyramid measures 18.76 meters.
Monument to Bartolomé Mitre.
The Monumento a Bartolomé Mitre in the Plaza Mitre was created by the Italian sculptors Luis Calandra, David and Eduardo Rubino. It is an imposing work carried out in white Carrara marble that dominates the square from the high part of the ravine.
Bartolomé Mitre Martinez was a statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868. As a liberal, he was an opponent of Juan Manuel de Rosas, and was forced into exile where he worked as a soldier and journalist in Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile. Mitre returned to Argentina after the defeat of Rosas. He led the revolt of Buenos Aires against Justo José de Urquiza's federal system, and was appointed to important posts in the provincial government after Buenos Aires seceded from the Confederation. Mitre was also the founder of La Nación, one of South America's leading newspapers. He wrote poetry and fiction. He translated Dante's "La divina commedia" ("The Divine Comedy") into Spanish.
Puente de la Mujer.
The Puente de la Mujer, in the Puerto Madero district, is a pedestrian bridge opened in 2001. It was designed by Valencian architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava. The bridge is 160 meters long and 6 meters wide, with a metallic mast that rises 39 meters. The bridge swings aside when a ship needs to pass through. The bridge was built in Spain and moved in parts to Buenos Aires in many shipments. Artistically, the author states that the work represent the figure of a couple dancing tango, where the white mast represents the man, and the curved silhouette of the bridge represents the woman.
Las Nereidas.
The Monumento Las Nereidas, or "Font of the Nereids", is now located at "Costanera Sur". It was created by Lola Mora, in 1903. The sensuous and erotic sculpture met bureaucratic problems at the city's Deliberative Council, which had it moved from place to place.
Lola Mora was a rebel and a pioneer of women in her artistic field. At 20 years of age she began painting portraits, but soon turned to sculpting marble and granite. She studied art in her home province and then, with a scholarship, in Rome, Italy, where she created her greatest works, some of them by request of the Argentine government. In 1900 she was charged with creating two bas-reliefs for the Historical House of Tucumán (seat of Argentina's Declaration of Independence of 1816).
The Obelisk.
The Obelisk () is one of the city's most famous landmarks and a venue for various cultural activities and other events. It is placed at the heart of Buenos Aires. "Porteños" refer to it simply as "El Obelisco".
The obelisk was built in May 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city. It is located in the center of the "Plaza de la República" (Republic Square), the spot where the Argentine flag was flown for the first time in Buenos Aires, at the intersection of Nueve de Julio and Corrientes avenues. Its total height is and its base area is . It was designed by architect Alberto Prebisch, and its construction took barely four weeks.
The obelisk is one of the main icons of the city, and a venue for various cultural activities (usually sponsored by the city government) and other events. It is the traditional gathering spot for sports fans to celebrate when their favourite team wins, especially from the national football team, often resulting in colorful events that attract media coverage. It was also used by several acrobatic troupes to perform high-wire acts.
Monument to Guillermo Rawson.
The Monumento a Guillermo Rawson is another bronze statue created by Héctor Rocha. The marble base has the figures of Reason and Science. On