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Belgrano |
The actual lands of the neighborhood were called La Calera, because there was a place aimed to the lime extraction, which was the material used for the construction of the first churches of the city. It was named “Belgrano”, in honor of the creator of the flag in 1812, General Manuel Belgrano (1770-1820), a leader of the independence movement, military man and politician that took part in the first government of 1810 and led the renowned Army of the North in 1816, winning in Tucumán and Salta provinces.
This is one of the most refined neighborhoods, founded by Valentín Alsina, who settled in the elegant Echeverría and Once de Septiembre streets. Walking through Belgrano’s attractive streets you will run into monuments, museums, libraries and squares.
The elegant neighborhood is divided into three areas: Bajo Belgrano, Belgrano Central and Belgrano R.
Inmaculada Concepción Church
This church, also known as “La Redonda”, due to its circular form, dates back to 1878. Its style is Greek-Roman and its beauty is highlighted because it is placed in the midst of the General Manuel Belgrano square. It is located in 2042 Vuelta de Obligado Street, and the ones in charge of its building were the Italians Canale and Buschiazzo.
Among the treasures this church keeps, you will find a replica of “The Last Supper”, by Leonardo da Vinci.
Next to this church, the famous “Recova de la Vicaría” is located.
General Manuel Belgrano Square
This square, surrounded by Juramento Av. and Cuba, Echeverría and Vuelta de Obligado Streets, is the main square of the neighborhood. On Saturdays and Sundays there is a crafts fair.
From this square, facing Vuelta de Obligado St., you get an interesting perspective of the Inmaculada Concepción church, known as “La Redonda”, surrounded by a colorful green environment given by the branches of old trees.
In the center of the square there is a bronze monument leant over a red granite base in honor to Manuel Belgrano (1770-1820), whose full name was Manuel Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano. Near this monument, on Cuba St., you will find the statue “Las Tres Gracias” (the three graces), and facing this statue you find the Sarmiento Historical Museum.
Sarmiento Historical Museum
It is a splendid mansion in the Italian style, built in 1873, designed by the architect Juan Buschiazzo and is located in 2180 Juramento Av. It was the central office of the old Belgrano’s town council. Then, in 1880, it was the headquarters of the National Government, during a period where historical sessions of the national congress were held, and it was in this building where the law that declared Buenos Aires the capital city of the country was passed. It is situated in Juramento Av. and Cuba St. In 1938 it turned into a museum, where you will find many objects that belonged to Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, including historical records and a newspaper library. You can also have lunch and dinner in a restaurant located in Juramento Av., next to the museum.
Domingo Sarmiento was an Argentine writer and politician who was born in San Juan in 1811 and died in Paraguay in 1888. He was President of the country from 1868 to 1874. He fostered education, wrote important literary works against ignorance and intolerance such as Facundo (1845) and wrote an autobiographical work, Recuerdos de la Provincia (1850). The museum counts with eight halls devoted to Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, one to Nicolás Avellaneda and two to the Congress of 1880. It is open from Tuesdays to Fridays from 2 pm to 7 pm and Sundays from 3 pm to 7 pm. On Sundays, there is a guided visit at 4 pm.
It was declared National Historical Monument.
Spanish Art Municipal Museum Enrique Larreta
It belonged to the famous Argentine writer Enrique Larreta. This museum, inaugurated in 1962, is a typical Spanish Renaissance house from the 19th century, with its classic balconies, railings and bay windows. It is located in 2291 Juramento St.
It presents twelve exhibition halls with important works of art, carpets, potteries, paintings, furniture, religious images, carvings, altarpieces, among other representative works of the Spanish art from the 13th to the 20th century.
In its interior, you will find the Andalusian Garden that borders this magnificent residence, with Moorish fountains and structures that decorates this pleasant garden, where concerts and theater shows are held in summer.
The museum is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 2 pm to 8 pm; and on Saturdays and Sundays from 3 pm to 8 pm. Besides, there are guided visits on Sundays at 4 pm and 6 pm.
Rogelio Yrurtia Museum House
This neo-plateresque large house of the 19th century is situated in 2390 O’Higgins St. and it was inaugurated as a museum in 1949. This house used to be the atelier of the sculptor Rogelio Yrurtia, who created the sculpture Canto al Trabajo, located in San Telmo neighborhood. In 1923, he won the National Prize of Architecture due to the recycling and decoration of this residence in the Spanish baroque style.
Finally, Yrurtia and his wife, the painter Lía Correa Morales, donated the house with pictures, tapestries, sculptures, antique furniture and all kinds of objects that Yrurtia and his wife accumulated from their trips to Europe.
This museum is worth visiting because of the diverse pictorial and sculptural works exhibited, besides the furniture from the 15th to the 17th century.
The drawings, engravings and sculptures of Yrurtia and Correa Morales are exhibited together with the works of Argentine and international painters such as Eduardo Sivori, Quinquela Martín, Martín Malharro, Pablo Picasso and Auguste Rodin, among others.
The museum is open from Tuesdays to Fridays and Sundays from 3 pm to 7 pm. On Mondays and Saturdays the museum is closed to the general public.
Barrancas de Belgrano
In Luis María Campos Av. and La Pampa St., there is a park of seven acres with an aged and varied grove over an uneven ground or ravine of 20 m height that used to get to the river. “Barrancas de Belgrano” (Belgrano ravines) continue through Virrey Vertíz St. up to Juramento Avenue.
The park was remodeled by the French landscape architect, Carlos Thays, to whom we owe much. You will admire an aged coppice that dates back to 1892. The paths that surround the picturesque park of the three ravines are made of brick from the 18th century.
In the intersection of La Pampa and Arribeños streets, you will find a reduced replica of the Statue of Liberty purchased in France.
In 11 de Septiembre St., almost getting to Sucre St., the monument Mariscal Antonio José de Sucre is placed, a bronze work by the Italian Tabacco and a gift of Venezuela’s government to Argentina when the Venezuelan president Jaime Lusinchi visited the country in 1986.
In 11 de Septiembre St., between Pampa and Echevería streets, you will find a beautiful courtyard and viewpoint known as the Antonio Malvagni Glorieta (pergola), where on Sundays the people gather to dance tango. The pergola is named after the Italian musician that created the Buenos Aires Municipal Band in 1910.
There is also a playground for children and you will have the possibility to see the neighbors of the area playing chess or “truco” (a game with Spanish cards) under the shadow of some tree.
Nicolás Mihanovich Fountain
This beautiful fountain that decorates the Barrancas de Belgrano is placed in the intersection of Sucre and 11 de Septiembre streets and it was a donation from Mihanovich and this is why the fountain bears his name.
This wonderful work, done by the Italian sculptor Arduino, is sixteen meters high and four dolphins were sculpted in Carrara marble.
Valentín Alsina House or Museum Líbero Badii
In this large house, located exactly in 1990 11 de Septiembre St., Valentín Alsina lived. He was the one who gave the name “Belgrano” to the town that was founded in 1855 and then turned into an elegant porteño neighborhood. The lands were bought by Alsina in 1856 and the European architect Petrochio was in charge of the initial building project; later, Alsina sold the residence to Jorge Atucha.
In 1880, the Duke of York and Prince of Wales, son of Edward VII and grandson of Queen Victoria, stayed in this picturesque residence.
In 1934, the architect Prebich carried out some alterations to the residence and finally, in 1977, the government took possession of it and created the Museum Líbero Badii. It is really interesting to visit this museum and see the works of Badii, a collection that goes from 1942 to 1978: sculptures in bronze, stone, polychrome wood and cement. Around a hundred of oil paintings, drawings, sketches and book editions and silk-screen printings and also pieces of furniture comprise the heritage of this museum.
Dr. Valentín Alsina was governor of Buenos Aires from 1857 to 1859, replacing the governor Pastor Obligado, who had been elected by the Buenos Aires legislature sanctioned by the 1854 constitution. This constitution declared Buenos Aires a free state, exercising its interior and exterior sovereignty. In 1859, Valentín Alsina resigns when faced with the attack and victory of the troops of the Confederation, commanded by Mitre in the Battle of Cepeda in Buenos Aires province. Afterwards, the San José de Flores pact was signed and stated that Buenos Aires should join the Confederation and swear the 1853 Constitution, reaching to an agreement in relation to proposed changes in the Constitution’s text.
It is open from Mondays to Fridays from 10 am to 6 pm, although it is advisable to call first at 4784-8650.
The house was declared National Historical Monument.
Belgrano Club
This important social and sport institution is located in 1701 Arribeños St., in an old and elegant mansion placed in the lands that belonged to the Corvalán family. The building belongs to the half of the 19th century.
La Casa del Ángel (The Angel’s House)
It is a building in the Norman style, with a viewpoint where there was a figure of an angel, so this is where its name came from. It was the house of the renowned French fencer, Carlos Delcasse. Presently, it is an elegant shopping center in the traditional neighborhood with picturesque coffee shops and extends along Sucre St., between O’Higgins and Arcos streets.
Belgrano Chinatown
Behind the train station Belgrano C, situated in front of Barrancas de Belgrano, along Juramento Av., towards del Libertador Av., this Argentine Chinatown, with different shops such as supermarkets, restaurants, libraries, drugstores, herbalist shops, record shops, travel agencies, shoe shops, acupuncture services, and markets with a wide variety of Chinese, Korean and Japanese products.
In these markets you can get products from these ancient countries, such as broccoli, bamboo or wild radish shoots; shitake mushroom, bamboo or turnip pickles; algas; rice vinegars, green tea; jasmine or ginseng tea and diverse seafood. The majority of them count with signs in Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
In 2000 Arribeños St., there are bazaars and restaurants of Korean and Taiwanese people that settled in this area.
In 2175 Montañeses St., you will find the central office of the Argentine Buddhist Association and the temple Tchon Kuan. You can visit the main nave of the church, but the only requisite is to take off your shoes and, if you want to attend a ceremony, you should cover yourself with a black robe called jsaichjin and kneel down over a hassock and try to meditate. |
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