Recoleta, Buenos Aires
This article possibly contains original research. (April 2016) |
Recoleta | |
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Recoleta Cemetery with the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar . | |
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Important sites | La Recoleta Cemetery, Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, National Library of the Argentine Republic ,National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Decorative Arts ,Alvear Palace Hotel, Café La Biela, ART ) |
Recoleta is a
The neighborhood is served by Line D and Line H of the Buenos Aires Underground, as well as by many bus lines in Avenida Santa Fe.
Geographical location
The Recoleta neighborhood is composed of the area limited by Montevideo and Uruguay Streets, Córdoba Avenue, Mario Bravo and Coronel Díaz Streets, Las Heras Avenue, Tagle Street, the
Neighboring communities are
History
The name of the neighborhood comes from the monastery – the Recollect Convent (Convento de la Recoleta)
The historical center of the neighborhood is the Church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, construction of which was completed in 1732. For that reason, the neighborhood was occasionally called El Pilar. The church was originally situated at the edge of the banks that sloped down to the Río de la Plata and Manso Creek. The creek, also known as Tercero del Norte, currently flows through an underground pipe, and runs below present-day Pueyrredón Avenue. It formed a type of small delta, with channels along the current Austria and Tagle Streets, which flowed into the Río de la Plata.
When Buenos Aires suffered terrible
These families (many of which were members of the ruling national elite, considered of "noble" ancestry (although there were no noblemen in the former Hispanic territories) for having descended from respected historical figures from the period of Argentine independence), built mansions and other notable buildings in several European architectural styles of the period (many of which were demolished towards the end of the 1950s and beginning of the 1960s and once again during the 2000s). Consequently, Buenos Aires has often been referred to as the "Paris of South America". Nowadays, what is left of these traditional buildings coexist with elegant modern constructions.
Together with some sections of the neighboring communities of Retiro and Palermo, Recoleta forms a part of the area known as Barrio Norte, Buenos Aires, a traditional residential zone for the city's most affluent families, where a great portion of the cultural life of the city is concentrated.
Culture
The Recoleta neighborhood is distinguished by its great cultural spaces. In addition to historical monuments, it is home to the National Fine Arts Museum or Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the National Library of Argentina, the Recoleta Cultural Center, and other exhibition venues.
Recoleta Cemetery
The
Museums and cultural centers
Next to the cemetery is the former General
Education
Several of the oldest and most prestigious schools in the capital are in the Recoleta neighborhood. Among them are the Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini, the Escuela Argentina Modelo, the Scuola Edmundo de Amicis, the Colegio Champagnat, the Colegio Mallinkdrodt, the Colegio San Agustín and Normal School 1, the oldest portion of which has been declared a National Monument.
Many university schools are also found in Recoleta, including several
A construction in the
Recoleta and tango
Several
Many
Sculpture
The neighborhood has numerous statues and sculptures in its parks and plazas. It has been exaggerated[by whom?] that the Recoleta neighborhood has more statues than any neighborhood in the world. Among the statues that stand out are El último centauro ("The Last Centaur"), El Arquero ("The Archer") and the equestrian statue dedicated to Carlos María de Alvear. Additionally, there are works by the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, the Floralis Genérica by Eduardo Catalano, and the Torso Masculino Desnudo ("Nude Male Torso") by Fernando Botero. The Recoleta Cemetery also possesses many exquisite works of art, obscured by their funerary location: the sculpture known as the Cristo Muerto by Giulio Monteverde, for example. Furthermore, the neighboring Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar holds examples of Spanish Colonial art. Particularly noteworthy is a sculpture which represents one of the Apostles by the Spanish sculptor, Alonso Cano.
Architecture
From the end of the nineteenth-century to the start of the 1920s, the Recoleta neighborhood has witnessed the construction of a great number of “
In spite of the demolitions, Recoleta still displays a rich architectural legacy. Outstanding examples are on
Some of the work of the noteworthy architect, Clorindo Testa, is in Recoleta. Of importance is the National Library, the Buenos Aires Design center, and the building of the new Colegio de Escribanos de Buenos Aires (School of Legal Notaries of Buenos Aires) on Las Heras Avenue.
Additionally, on the side streets of the neighborhood, there is a large number of rental properties of more practical design, whose compact structure and austere appearance contrast with the predominantly neoclassic style of much of Recoleta.
One particular area of Recoleta, bounded by
Unlike other areas of Recoleta, the only historic structure in this particular portion of the neighborhood is the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital. The main wing of this hospital retains the features that it had a century ago, and it is located on the corner of Paraguay and Gallo Streets.
Green spaces
Although a large portion of Recoleta has been developed, it still possesses many green spaces. Along Libertador and Figueroa Alcorta Avenues, the República Federativa do Brasil Park is located facing the University of Buenos Aires Faculty of Law, Plaza Rubén Darío, Plaza República Oriental del Uruguay, Plaza República Chile, Plaza Francia, Plaza Intendente Alvear, Plaza Dante Alighieri and Plazoleta Raúl Soldi. Plaza Vicente López y Planes, recently enhanced, is found at the intersection of Montevideo and Paraná Streets.
Recoleta was the site of an
Of particular note, in the Plaza Francia facing the cemetery is an enormous rubber tree; its huge tentacle-like lower branches cast shade over La Biela's popular terrace. Known as the Gran Gomero, it was planted in 1791 by Martín José Altolaguirre, the owner of these lands back in that time, and is 50 meters wide.
Plaza Francia
Facing the cemetery and the cultural center, is the Plaza Intendente Alvear, mistakenly, but commonly known as Plaza Francia. The plaza became famous in the 1960s for its street fair, popularly called the “feria hippie.” Over time, in addition to genuine artisans and craftspeople, the fair has attracted street vendors and merchants of a wide variety of merchandise.
At present, the Government of the City of Buenos Aires has reorganized the fair, encouraging the participation of those artisans whose work is original and authentic, and discouraging those whose merchandise is of low quality or those who simply sell mass-produced items. [, and much more.
Famous residents of Recoleta
Of the important residents of the Recoleta neighborhood, the writers
In the past, the Argentine president's residence was located at the intersection of Agüero Street and Libertador Avenue. After the overthrow of President Juan Perón in 1955, the luxurious residence was demolished, and today, where it stood, now stands the National Library, work of the Italo-Argentine Clorindo Testa.
Other contemporary residents who have lent local color to the neighborhood are the comedian Carlos Balá, the iconoclastic musician Charly García and the Italian-Argentine designer Gino Bogani.
Businesses and restaurants
The neighborhood is well known for its shopping opportunities. The most important French and Italian designers have shops in Recoleta.
Recoleta is also a distinctive gastronomic area of the city. Its restaurants, many having earned international awards,[
Walking tour
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Junín street
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Buenos Aires Design Centre
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Chapel of the Centro Cultural Recoleta
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Nuestra Señora del Pilar Church
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Las Heras Avenue
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Callao Avenue
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The Pizzurno Palace (Ministry of Education)
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National Library
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Monument to Guillermo Rawson
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Faculty of Engineering (Las Heras Ave. branch)
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Plaza San Martín de Tours
References
- ^ "Presentaron los emblemas de 48 barrios porteños". Ámbito.com (in Spanish). 29 August 2011. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
- ^ "El barrio mas conservador de buenos aires - Opiniones de viajeros sobre Recoleta, Buenos Aires".
- ^ "Cuáles son los barrios más baratos para alquilar en la ciudad de Buenos Aires". El Cronista (in Spanish). 19 January 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
- ^ Leyes y decretos promulgados en la provincia de Buenos Aires (in Spanish). Argentina: Impr. del Mercurio. 1877. p. 318.
Convento de la Recoleta [...] destinado para Cementario [...] El edificio llamado de la Recoleta
External links
- Argentina portal
- Media related to Recoleta, Buenos Aires at Wikimedia Commons
- Recoleta, Buenos Aires travel guide from Wikivoyage