Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The seashell museum is right on the
Plaza San
Martín
. Christened Plaza América when it
was first built in the 1930s, it was later called
the Plaza Luro for Avenida Luro which bisects
it, and was subsequently renamed Plaza San
Martín. Interestingly, at the plaza's center is a
statue of the General, not on horseback but in
his older years, dressed in civilian clothes and
supporting himself with a cane. It was cast in
bronze by the sculptor Luis Perlotti and was
donated to the city in 1956 by Roger Ballet.
Benches all around make the plaza a favorite
meeting place among friends and young lovers
in the evenings, while others come here to feed
the pigeons and the sparrows. Concerts are
occasionally held in the small bandshell.
While still on the plaza, be sure to check the
date on the city calendar, which keeps residents
and guests up-to-date using flowers to spell out
the month, date and year. Take a few minutes
to visit the
Catedral de los Santos Pedro Y
Cecilia
(Cathedral of Saints Peter and Cecilia),
built between 1893 and 1905. Its neogothic
style is reminiscent of the 12th and 13th centu-
ries. Outstanding features include its enor-
mous stained glass windows, central chandelier
which once hung in the city's original hotel, the
Bristol, and the bell tower with its five bells.
The crypt below the main altar supposedly con-
tains the remains of 1st- and 2nd-century mar-
tyrs and a small piece of Christ's Cross.
