Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Street-by-Street: Recoleta
Recoleta stretches from downtown Buenos Aires to Calle
Austria, but its heart is to be found in the cluster of leafy
plazas and public buildings that surround the barrio's
famous cemetery. The area has grand apartment buildings
built in the early 1900s and boasts Café La Biela, one of the
smartest and most famous
confiterías
in town. Also located
here is the national fine arts museum, a lively cultural
center, five-star hotels, and a beautiful old church. The
capital's early 20th-century Francophile aspirations are
evident in the barrio's architecture and in the name of the
best-known green space in the area - Plaza Francia.
.
Cementerio de la Recoleta
This labyrinthine necropolis is the
resting place of many presidents,
military heroes, and well-known
patrician families.
3
1
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar
Consecrated in 1732, this Spanish-style church
houses a superlative Baroque altar featuring a
wrought-silver frontal.
2
Centro Cultural
Recoleta
This sprawling complex,
also known as Centro
Cultural de Buenos
Aires, is dedicated to
promoting contem-
porary Argentinian
music, theater, and film.
Café
La Biela
Alvear
Palace
Hotel
6
Palais de Glace
Opened by the aristocrat Baron de Marchi in
the 1920s, the one-time ice rink and ballroom
is now an excellent arts-focused exhibition
center. Legend has it that tango star Carlos
Gardel was shot here by a jealous rival.
For hotels and restaurants see pp278-83 and pp288-99
