El Rosedal Palermo

El Rosedal or the Rose Garden is found inside the Parque Tres de Febrero in the neighbourhood of Palermo.  Work on the gardens was completed in 1914 and it now contains about 18,000 rose bushes, unfortunately none of them were in bloom when I visited.

The Rose Garden was declared a cultural heritage of the city of Buenos Aires in 2011 and so any changes or restoration must be done with respect to the original design.

This photo was taken from the top steps of the “Greek” bridge looking down towards the main path.

Teatro Cervantes

The Teatro Cervantes was built in 1921 after being financed mostly by the Spanish actress Maria Guerrero and her husband Fernando Diaz de Mendoza.  Its popularity declined shortly after opening and Maria and her husband sold it off just a few years later in 1926 where it became the home of the National Comedy Theatre.

The building suffered major damage after a fire 1961 and it was another 7 years before it reopened after receiving significant modernisation including a 17story annex.  Its importance to Argentina was recognised in 1995 when it was designated a National Landmark.

Estatua del General O’Higgins

The purpose of this blog was to return to the location of the original photo and take a new picture.  However, for this post I decided to focus not on the location of the original photo but on the subject instead.

The subject in question is a statue of General Bernardo O’Higgins – you will find a similar statue of General O’Higgins in just about every country in South America, such was his importance to this continent.

The original location of the statue was in Plaza Rodriguez Peña, outside the building that is now known as the Pizzurno Palace.  Statues and monuments in Buenos Aires have a tendency to be moved however and it now finds itself in tucked away in Plaza Republic de Chile – a suitable home as Chile was liberated by General O’Higgins.

Residencia de los Srés. Carlos y Martin Noel

This fine building in Retiro is actually a lot younger than it looks, being built in the 1920s.  It was designed by the architect Martin Noel and he lived in it with his brother Dr Carlos Noel.  At the time of the original photo it would have still been their private residence.

It is now home to the Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco which houses one of the finest collections of South American colonial art.  It is much grander from the back and also has a stunning garden.  Interestingly, a balcony has been added to the original building.

Monumento de la colectividad Francesa a la Argentina

The ‘French Monument’ was a gift from the French community and was built in 1901 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Argentina’s independence.  It is perhaps not as famous as the ‘Spanish Monument’ or the ‘English Monument’ which were gifted to Buenos Aires by the Spanish and English communities respectively.  Made from granite and marble, it was designed by Emile Peynot and is located in Plaza Francia.  Rather sadly, because of the large apartment block that was built behind it, the silhoutte of the angel against the sky in the original photo can no longer be seen.

 

Jardin Zoologico Buenos Aires 2

Another photo from inside Buenos Aires Zoo – If I recall correctly this building is home to the rhinoceroses though it is now mostly hidden from view by trees.  The unsightly skyscrapers in the background give an idea of the changing landscape of this city

Jardin Zoologico Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires Zoo opened in 1875 and unfortunately for the animals not much seems to have changed since then.  It is in the middle of a very dense neighbourhood and space is at a premium.  The original buildings are still being used to house animals and whilst they are very interesting in an architectural sense they aren’t really fit for purpose.  Annoyingly I arrived just as the zoo was closing and didn’t get all the photos I needed and so I had to make a return visit.

Avenida Infanta Isabel

Out of all the photos in this blog, this set is my favourite.  As more than 80 years had passed since the original photo was taken I was very surprised to find these 10 palm trees still standing.  I was also pleased with myself that I was able to find them in a large park full of palm trees. Although there isn’t a stark contrast between the two photos, nothing shows the passing of time better in my opinion.  I also love the simplicity – the same trees, just taller.  Avenida Infanta Isabel is a very busy place at weekends in Buenos Aires – especially with roller bladers and cyclists.  I moved off the road to avoid getting in their way and that was when I found these trees.

Barrancas de Belgrano

Despite being surrounded by high rise buildings, Barrancas de Belgranos is one of the more peaceful parks in Buenos Aires.  It was designed by the French landscape architect Charles Thays who also laid out the plans for the Parque Tres de Febrero.  Its grassy green slopes are a popular place for locals and tourists to come and relax and drink mate on lazy afternoons.

Lago y Tambo en Palermo

Tucked away in the corner of the Tres de Febrero park, overlooking the lake and rose gardens, is this old building which is currently the Eduardo Sivori Art Museum. I was somewhat confused by the original title of the photo “Lago y Tambo en Palermo” because Tambo is Spanish for a small dairy farm.  After some research online I was surprised to discover that the building did indeed used to be a dairy farm.  It subsequently became a cafe before becoming the art museum.