Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mendoza, who opened the
theater in 1921 with a pro-
duction of Lope de Vega's La
Dama Boba . After a few years,
mismanagement and poor
box-office returns led to
bankruptcy, and the building
and business were taken over
by the government.
In the early decades, plays by
great Spanish authors such as
Calderón, Tirso de Molina, and
Ventura de la Vega were the
preferred repertoire, but
nowadays the 1,700-seat theater
is employed for anything from
lively musicals aimed at school
audiences to cutting-edge new
dramas by emerging authors.
The theater also houses the
Museo del Instituto Nacional
de Estudios de Teatro , which
provides a brief yet interesting
account of thespian history
in Argentina.
The Palacio de Justicia, home to Argentina's legal system
p Palacio de
Justicia
Talcahuano 550. City Map 3 D4.
Tribunales. @ 29, 39, 109.
In the 18th century, this area
was still grassed over and was
part of the suburbs of the
original city; in 1822, the military
used the site to build a weapons
factory and as a barracks for
their artillery.
In 1890, a group of 400
protesters took over the land to
stage a demonstration against
the presidency of Juarez
Celman, and during the ensuing
battle with government forces
over 150 people were killed.
Around the present-day
“plaza” - in fact, there are three
other adjacent plazas - are a
host of important buildings
including the Teatro Colón and
the Teatro Nacional Cervantes,
as well as the oldest Jewish
synagogue, the Templo
Libertad, and the Palacio de
Justicia, the seat of the
Argentinian legal system.
Built during the 1890s, the
Greco-Roman Palacio was
designed by Norbert Maillart,
the architect behind Correo
Central (see p71) and Colegio
Nacional de Buenos Aires. It
was inaugurated in 1942 and
is home to the nation's scandal-
ridden Supreme Court. The
Palacio's main hall features
La Justicia , a statue by
the renowned sculptor
Rogelio Yrurtia.
The court used to be open
to the public but the frequency
of marches and protests made
the administration limit access
around the perimeter of
the building.
o Plaza Lavalle
Bounded by Calles Tucuman &
Viamonte. City Map 3 D4.
Tribunales. @ 29, 39, 109.
Honoring Juan Lavalle, who
crossed the Andes with the
hero of national liberation, José
de San Martín, this green, leafy
space is a welcome refuge from
the surrounding traffic and
scurrying young lawyers on
their way between their offices
and the nearby law courts.
A shaded path through the leafy environs of the peaceful Plaza Lavalle
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search