Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Biblioteca Nacional (National Library)
Opened in 1992, this modern ar chi-
tectural oddity stands on the land of the former P residential R esidence in which E va
Perón died. With its underground levels, the library's 13 floors can stor e up to five mil-
lion volumes. Among its collection, the librar y stores 21 books printed b y one of the
earliest printing presses, dating from 1440 to 1500. Visit the reading room—occupying
two stories at the top of the building—to enjo y an aw e-inspiring view of the city . The
library also hosts special events in its exhibition hall and auditorium.
Calle A guero 2502 (at Liber tador).
&
11/4807-0885.
F ree admission. M on-Fri 9am-9pm; Sat-Sun
noon-8pm. No metro access.
Congreso (Congress)
The N ational Congr ess to wers o ver A venida de M ayo,
forming the end of the A venida de Mayo processional route, which begins at the pr esi-
dent's Casa Rosada down the street. The capitol building, built in 1906, combines ele-
ments of classical Greek and Roman architecture, topped with an immense central dome
modeled after its counterpar t in Washington, D.C. Today the building cannot accom-
modate the entire congressional staff, some of whom had to spill o ver into neighboring
structures. There are daily tours, in English and Spanish, but they are sometimes canceled
if there are intense congressional sessions and other activities.
Plaza Congreso
was designed in 1910 to frame the congr ess building and memorial-
ize the centennial of a revolutionary junta that helped overthrow Spanish rule in Argen-
tina. S troll ar ound the squar e and its surr oundings to see a number of ar
chitectural
landmarks, theaters, sidewalk cafes, and bars.
Plaza Congreso. Free hourly tours daily 11am-4pm. Metro: Congreso.
Teatro Colón (Colón Theater)
Moments
Buenos Aires's golden age of pros-
perity gave birth to this luxurious opera house. It's one of the crowning visual delights of
Avenida 9 de Julio, though its true entrance faces a park on the opposite side of the build-
ing. Over the years, the theater has been graced b y the likes of E nrico Caruso, Luciano
Pavarotti, Julio Bocca, Maria Callas, Plácido Domingo, Arturo Toscanini, and Igor Stra-
vinsky. Work began in 1889 and took close to 20 y ears to complete, largely because the
first two ar chitects died during the building pr ocess. The majestic building opened in
1908 and combines a variety of European styles, from the Ionic and Corinthian capitals
and stained-glass pieces in the main entrance to the I talian-marble staircase and French
furniture, chandeliers, and v ases in the G olden Hall. In the main theater , which seats
3,000 in orchestra seats, stalls, boxes, and four rises, an enormous chandelier hangs from
the domed ceiling painted b y Raúl S oldi in 1966 during a pr evious r enovation. The
theater's acoustics ar e world-renowned. In addition to hosting visiting per formers, the
Colón has its o wn Philharmonic orchestra, choir, and ballet company. Opera and sym-
phony seasons last fr om February to late D ecember. Unfortunately, while the building
represents the glory of Argentina's golden period, its current renovation represents every-
thing that is wr ong with Argentina today . A multimillion-dollar r enovation was
announced, with much fanfar e, in 2004. The plan was to finish b y May 25, 2008—its
100th anniversary—for a revival of
Aida,
the opera's first production. As of this writing,
the building r emains in scaffolding, unfinished, with its interior par tly exposed to the
elements because windows have been removed. Without pointing any fingers, somehow
much of the money went missing and the building is nowhere near a state to function in
any capacity. Rumor has it that some of the opera 's extensiv e collection of pr ops and
outfits has also been pilfer ed. I have been told that wor k should be completed b y 2010,
according to a ne w schedule, but no wor k appears to be in pr ogress at the time of this
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