Buenos Aires - Argentina - page 124

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political and economic turmoil, barriers and a strong police presence have become a fact
of life here, making it unpleasant at times. A planned r evamp of the par k, intended for
the 2010 B icentennial, though largely meant to stop demonstrations fr om gathering,
would remove the benches and fur ther prevent pedestrian flow, making it an even more
unpleasant place, but the city has y et to act on the renovation. The mothers of the desa-
parecidos, victims of the militar y dictatorship's war against leftists, hav e demonstrated
here since 1976. You can see them mar ch, speak, and set up information booths Thurs-
day afternoons at 3:30pm. The circle of headscarves, known as pañuelos, which surrounds
the Pirámide de Mayo marks their demonstration route. The use of the headscar ves as a
symbol dates fr om a time when the militar y finally granted the mothers the right to
march in pr otest, but forbid them speaking to any one. They wrote the names of their
missing children on the scar ves, with the hope that someone would see and later , in a
safer space, tell them what had happened to their childr en.
The Argentine president, whose residence is now in Los O livos, in the suburbs, goes
to work at the Casa Rosada (Pink House) . It is from a balcony of this building
that Eva Perón addr essed adoring cr owds of Argentine wor kers, and former P resident
Carlos Menem allowed Madonna to use it for the 1996 mo vie. Now, however, many
Argentines associate the balcony with militar y dictator Leopoldo G altieri's ill-fated dec-
laration of war against the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, known here as the
Islas Malvinas. You can watch the changing of the guard in front of the palace every hour
on the hour . On a side entrance to the building is the Presidential Museum ( & 11/
4344-3802 ), with information on the histor y of the building and items o wned by vari-
ous presidents over the centuries. It's open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm;
admission is free.
The original structure of the Metropolitan Cathedral ( & 11/4331-2845 ) was
built in 1745; it was giv en a ne w facade with car vings that tell the stor y of Jacob and his
son Joseph, and was designated a cathedral in 1836. Inside lies a mausoleum containing the
remains of Gen. José de San Martín, the South American liberator regarded as the “Father
of the Nation.” (San Martín fought successfully for freedom in Argentina, Peru, and Chile.)
His body was moved here in 1880 to become a symbol of Argentina 's unification and rise
to greatness when Buenos Aires became the capital of the country at the end of a civil war.
The tomb of the unknown soldier of Argentine independence is also her e.
The Cabildo , Bolívar 65 ( & 11/4334-1782 ), was the original seat of city govern-
ment established b y the S paniards. Completed in 1751, the colonial building pr oved
significant in the ev ents leading up to Argentina 's declaration of independence fr om
Spain in May 1810. Parts of the Cabildo were demolished to create space for Avenida de
Mayo and D iagonal Sur. The r emainder of the building was r estored in 1939 and is
worth a visit. The small informal museum offers paintings and furnitur e from the colo-
nial period, and its ledges and windows offer some of the best views of the Plaza de Mayo
and the opportunity to imagine what the area might have been like in the colonial period
(the museum is open to the public Tues-Fri 12:30-7pm and S un 2-6pm; admission is
$1/70p). The Cabildo is the only remaining public secular building dating back to colo-
nial times. O n Thursday and F riday, the Cabildo 's back patio is home to a crafts fair
(11am-6pm).
A striking neoclassical facade co vers the Legislatura de la C iudad (City Legislature
Building), at Calle Perú and Hipólito Yrigoyen, which houses exhibitions in sev eral of
its halls. Ask about tours, offered on an informal basis in English or Spanish. Legend has
it that the watchtower was made so high so that the city could keep on eye on the nearby

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