Plaza de Mayo: Do not cry for me Argentina

For: Gerardo Bartolomé (text and photos)
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"Excuse. Where is the Plaza Mayor?”, asked a man with a strong English accent. I took the trouble to correct, simply indicated to continue, was very close. It is true that in the colonial main square of Buenos Aires was called Plaza Mayor, but almost 150 years ago renamed it Plaza de Mayo. Certainly, the resemblance of both words and association with the well-known square Madrid induce error. I was thinking about this place with so much history Argentina and decided I could not be in my file I did not have good pictures of it.

A couple of Saturday after I got up very early to go to the square. I had to take early morning, because then crowded and impossible to get a good picture. I arrived at eight o'clock and was just a group of protesters who had spent the night there encamped. Since a few years ago the square has become the center quintessential Argentine protests.

I was thinking about this place with so much history Argentina and decided I could not be in my file I did not have good pictures of it

Impossible to know what was the first image of this square, but there is a famous painting of the second foundation of Buenos Aires, the same happened there, in the center of the current Plaza. Second Foundation?, Some readers may wonder? So. Is that the first Buenos Aires, the 1536, was destroyed by Indians. But back to our table ... This represents a Juan de Garay standing in front of a tree that became known as the "Roll of Justice" in the act of declaration of the founding of the City of the Holy Trinity and Port St. Mary of the Buenos Aires in that historic 11 June 1580.

I smiled when I remembered the newsprint happened José Moreno Carbonero, the painter's famous painting

I stood in the center of the square, interested in how the place had changed little over those 400 years. I smiled as I remembered the newsprint happened José Moreno Carbonero, the painter's famous painting. As renowned Spanish artist, He was hired in 1909 for a huge painting of the founding of the city. This happened shortly before the celebrations of the centenary of the May Revolution 1810. He fulfilled! The problem was that his picture had so many historical errors, a few years later, was asked to the corrected. Said and done, the new picture hangs from 1923 in the seat of city government. The reader can compare the two images and, as a Sunday newspaper game, may find the differences between them. A historic mistake was not corrected; Indians appear in both versions and the truth is that when Garay came to this land of Silver found not one of them.

In front of me was one of the few old buildings in Buenos Aires, the Cabildo. This was the seat of city government in colonial times, date 1725. Of course since suffered many changes and amputations. Of the five arches flanking each side of the tower today only survived by two. The others were demolished to build and widen streets around. Also the tower was lying at a time but, luckily, was decided to rebuild the original colonial appearance. It houses a small museum recommend visiting. It was at this council, seat of city government, and not in the strong, seat of government of the Viceroyalty, where the first steps of independence Argentina. This occurred on 25 May 1810, so the square was renamed to "Plaza de Mayo".

It became customary, among the residents of the city, refer to something that would never happen as "the day he finished the cathedral"

I continued my visit in the sense of clockwise, which led me to the strange Cathedral of Buenos Aires. The facade looks more like a Athenian Parthenon Catholic cathedral. The cathedral we see today is the sixth which was erected in the same place. All previous succumbed construction errors or horrors. Who suspected that this was due to corruption that already raging in the Rio de la Plata, be interested to know that the current took over a hundred years to complete. The funds to build it never reached… So much so that it became customary, among the residents of the city, refer to something that would never happen as "the day he finished the cathedral". That day finally came in 1862.

Following my visit I passed the headquarters of Banco de la Nacion Argentina, whose building is the twentieth century. For centuries this area was vacated providing strong possible extensions of Buenos Aires. This vacant, o “hueco”, as you said before, was called the "hollow of the Animas" because it was used for burials, given the proximity of the cathedral.

The fort was strategically located between the Plaza and Canyon overlooking the Rio de la Plata for their cannons defend the colony

Continuing the visit should have run across the Deposit of Buenos Aires, but unfortunately this was demolished gradually from the early 1850. The fort was strategically located between the Plaza and Canyon overlooking the Rio de la Plata for their cannons defend the colony from threats that could come from water. But its usefulness was demonstrated when, in 1806, an English fleet landed and effortlessly hoisted his flag on it. The fort was not only the center of military power but also the center of political power. From there ran the viceroyalty the Marquis of Sobremonte when he decided to flee to the British approach. The English Major William Carr Beresford also made the short strong government headquarters in England on Buenos Aires.

After the anarchy of the Argentine civil wars decided to demolish the fort and, in his stead, he built a modest house government. This was painted a light reddish, so it is called Casa Rosada. That strange color was, however, very common at the end of the colony as it emerged from cow blood add to the typical Spanish white. Years later, built beside a luxury Post Office that, girl to be the seat of government was annexed to this. So today the Casa Rosada, view from the Plaza de Mayo, has two different facades linked by a major arc that makes the input time presidential.

That strange color of the Casa Rosada arose from cow blood add to the typical Spanish white

A balcony above attracted the attention of my camera. We might call the "Balcony of Peron and Evita". The 17 October 1945 a large crowd gathered in the square. The "shirtless" invaded giving impetus to the political career of an army colonel, Juan Domingo Perón. In gratitude he waved from the balcony of the Casa Rosada. Several times Peron and his wife used the balcony to address the people that called the Plaza de Mayo. Perhaps the best known of this occasion was when Evita resigned to run as vice president of her husband because, though people did not know, I was sick with terminal cancer. In the same balcony filmed it Madonna making for the famous musical Evita "Do not cry for me Argentina".

Since finishing my tour I passed historic square building Ministry of Economy. More than a hundred jokes that could be made about the incredible economic history of Argentina, the truth is that this building saves testimony of one of the most tragic afternoon of this place. The 16 June 1955 a group of naval pilots, as part of an attempt to oust Peron, wanted to bomb the Government House. Missed their target and fell on the Plaza bombs killing more than three hundred people. The facade of the Ministry of Economy received some of the shrapnel. The marks were never erased to remember this barbarism.

Still, May Mothers gather every Thursday to march around the pyramid, asking to return their children alive

Finally, almost finished my visit, I went to the monument known as the May Pyramid, commemorating the independence revolution. Around it are painted on the floor tissues of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. Still, after more than thirty years, they come together every Thursday to march around the pyramid, asking to return their children alive, missing during the bloody military dictatorship 76 the 83.

I left the place remembering the title of the report on missing that made the commission headed by the renowned writer Ernesto Sabato Never again!

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Comments (2)

  • Mariela

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    Excellent blog…If you need someone to travel and write…count me in. Marrie

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  • Javier Brandoli

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    Hello Mariela, VaP. is a project open to travelers who want to tell their stories here. A meeting, an airport bar, the long tail where you meet people at borders, the trains autobusus and share with strangers… It will be a pleasure to have another viejera more, and we are many, counting from his eyes what is happening out there.

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