No denying it: I have a certain fondness for this piece of sculpture. Columbus was the subject of some of my first digital photos in 2002, he often wowed tourists when I began guiding locally ten years ago, & Plaza Colón was one of the few places my mom wanted to see during her first & only visit overseas (that’s a tiny her below!).
Perhaps to prove I saw more than religious architecture in Córdoba, there are even more photos in this post. The newest architecture is pretty exciting—with a few notable exceptions—and the best from the past are a number of surviving Neocolonial buildings (pretty much the same period as Art Deco)…
In an continuing effort to understand what makes Buenos Aires tick, I began investigating a few events that had a large historical impact yet are not represented or remembered in the collective consciousness. Once again, “The Collective Memory Reader” comes in handy.
Although Franciscans established the first religious order in the new city, Jesuits arrived in 1599 & made Córdoba a center for learning as well as spiritual growth. Surviving in 25 city blocks with the main square at its center, Córdoba’s early history is best expressed by its surviving religious structures. Surprisingly enough, I found no guide that focused solely on this aspect of Córdoba… so here’s a suggested walking route.
- Continue reading argentina: córdoba, religious architecture
When historians look back on Buenos Aires at the turn of the 21st century, one of the topics they will likely discuss is the unfortunate destruction of the city’s architectural heritage. Nothing seems to be able to stop it.
As 2001 came to an end, it was almost time to celebrate my one-year anniversary of moving to Buenos Aires. I’ll be the first to admit that I was slow in coming to terms with some of the quirks of Argentina. But I was about to learn more than I bargained for.
A neighborhood as large & complex as Barracas has a number of elements that don’t fit into any of the previous categories…
- Continue reading buenos aires: barracas revisited, odds & ends
With a population of about 80,000 people, Barracas has lots of space to provide all the public services necessary: parks, hospitals, churches, synagogues & more.
- Continue reading buenos aires: barracas revisited, services
Given that Barracas has been divided into so many different parcels & has such an industrial character, few people consider it a prime residential area. That wasn’t always the case.
- Continue reading buenos aires: barracas revisited, residential
