Day 4A - Belgrano and Palermo

Like the previous days, I overslept and was not able to take advantage of the hotel's complimentary continental breakfast. This was quite alright, as I found the selection to be inadequate.  Today's adventure would take me to three of the city's northern barrios:

• Belgrano

• Palermo

• Recoleta - Since this section is so large, I placed it on its own page.  This link will redirect the viewer to Day 4B.

I planned too much to see on this day.  Complicating the situation was my late wake-up, which threw me off my a couple of hours.

Belgrano
Originally, I had intended to take the subway into Belgrano, but changed my mind.  While slightly more expensive, I found that taking a cab was much more convenient.  The taxi dropped me just east of the barrio, so I walked to the first places of interest.  It was early in the morning, but there already were a number of people sunning themselves in the area's parks.  I could tell it was going to be a hot day.

The first stop was the Plaza General Manuel Belgrano.  The plaza, as well as the barrio, are named for the hero of Argentina's war of independence.  In the plaza, there is a statue dedicated to General Belgrano, which shows him standing in a stately pose.  In the plaza, there were a number of vendors selling trinkets, jewelry and objets d'art.

On the square are a number of important buildings.  To the southeast is the the Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción.  Because of its impressive dome, the church is known to the locals as La Redonda.  I was able to enter the church, which was not well-lit on the inside.  Other than the impressive dome, there was not much to see.  On the northwest corner is the Museo de Arte Español, which houses the collection to Uruguayan expatriate Enrique Larreta.  Included in the collection are household objects and Spanish art.  The museum was closed, so I was not able to view the collection.  Finally, on the northeast corner, is the Museo Histórico Sarmiento.  Located in the barrio's former city hall, the museum celebrates Argentina's greatest educator, Domingo Sarmiento, who was also president of the republic from 1868 to 1874.  Like the other museum, this facility was closed when I visited.

Belgrano is a residential section of town, so there are many high-rise apartment buildings, as well as secluded single-family homes.  Most of the streets are tree-lined quiet streets with little traffic and fewer parked cars.  I meandered my way northeast towards Barrancas de Belgrano, a small park created by French architect Charles Thays.  The plaza sits near the city's small Chinatown, which is centers on Arribeños.  The area is filled with mostly those of Taiwanese heritage, who immigrated after World War II.  There were a number of grocery stores and restaurant supply shops, as well as a few restaurants.  Also in the vicinity is the former Museo Libero Badii, which now is known as the Fundación Banco Francés.   Like the other museums in the barrio, this art gallery was closed.

Palermo
I headed south on Avenida O'Higgins, named for the hero of the Chilean independence movement.  This tree-lined street leads into the next barrio south, Palermo.  

In the northeast corner of the barrio is a section known as Palermo Chico.  This tree-lined area hosts a number of the city's wealthiest residents, as well as embassies and diplomatic missions.  It was designed originally by Charles Thays in the late 19th c. CE, "... but now has evolved into a potpourri of patrician tastes with numerous architectural styles" (Time Out, 99).  At the eastern edge of this section is the Paseo Alcorta shopping center, whose anchor tenant is the Carrefour hypermarket.

Just south of the shopping center is the Plaza República del Perú.  In the center of the plaza is a statue; unfortunately, there were no marking on the base, so I don't who it is supposed to represent.  On this Saturday morning, there were a number of local vendors in the plaza, selling trinkets and bric-à-brac.  

In the same vicinity is the recently-opened Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires.  The museum houses Eduardo F Constantini's art collection, which is "... one of the largest private collection[s] of Latin American art in the country and one of the most significant collections ... in the world" (Time Out, 199).  I visited the museum; the building is a wonderful display space with a great deal of natural light, mainly through the atrium.  The collection is housed on three levels:

• The ground level contains a café and well-stocked bookshop.  Unfortunately, there was not a large selection of posters, but there were plenty of books on Argentine and Latin American art.  

• The first floor houses the permanent collection, which is heavily populated with works by Argentine and Brazilian artists.  Buenos Aires native Xul Solar figures prominently.  

• The exhibition space on the second floor is used for special exhibitions.  In residence during my visit was an exhibition entitled "Modern Río de la Plata Artists in Europe between 1911 and 1924".  

From Palermo Chico, I headed southeast on Avenida Presidente Figueroa Alcorta; the next stop was a small plaza with a statue honor Alexandro Pétion, the liberator of Haiti.  And further south was the Plaza República de Chile, dedicated to Argentina's western neighbor.  The plaza is a beautiful area to watch the world whisk by, and there are a number of interesting building around the plaza.

In the northeast corner is the Museo del Instituto Nacional Sanmartiniano, which is dedicated to the study of the life of the hero of the Argentine liberation movement.  The building is a 1:75 replica of the general's Gran Bourg French house of exile.  There are a number of busts in front of the institute, including one of general.  In between the busts is a flower garden, with beautiful red roses in bloom. Just south of the institute is a statue of the general entitled El Abuelo Inmortal.  Completed by Argentine sculptor Angel Ibarra Garcia, the statue shows the seated general counseling his two beloved granddaughters.  The friezes at the base show important events in the general's life.

On the southern edge of the plaza is the Palacio Errázuriz.  Originally, the building was home to the Errázuriz family, which lived in the structure until 1936.  The family then dedicated the building to the state on the condition it was used for a public museum.  Built in a Beaux-Arts style, the building's façade has a beautiful frieze in the center.  It now hosts two museums: the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo and the Museo Nacional de Arte Oriental.  Neither museum was open while I was in the neighborhood, so I was not able to see either collection.

The façade of the Museo del Instituto Nacional Sanmartiniano	Some of the beautiful red roses that were in bloom in the institute's flower garden
The bust of General José de San Martin, which is located in the garden of the institute that studies his life and legacy	El Abuelo Inmortal, explaining the wonders of life to his beloved granddaughters
One of the friezes at the base of El Abuelo Inmortal, showing the general playing with his granddaughters in the garden	Another one of the friezes, showing the general walking with his granddaughters
Another of the friezes, showing the general playing with his granddaughters	The façade of the Palacio Errázuriz

The Plaza República de Chile was a beautiful park.  Like those in Palermo, this park had a number of sunbathers enjoying the hot Saturday afternoon.  A number of people were also sitting under the large shade trees, which would have been my preference.  Between the El Abuelo Inmortal statue and the Chilean embassy, there were a number of statues of Latin American independence heroes, including Pueyrredon, Gregorio de Las Heras, Alvarez, Güemes and O'Higgins.

Proceed to Day 4B - Recoleta or return to the Main Page

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