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Plaza de Mayo Review

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Plaza de Mayo

Category: Squares
Location: El Centro

Fodor's Review:

Dating from 1580, the Plaza de Mayo itself has been the stage for many important events throughout the nation's history, including the uprising against Spanish colonial rule on May 25, 1810—hence its name. The square was once divided in two by a recova (gallery), but this reminder of colonial times was demolished in 1883 and the square's central monument, the Pirámide de Mayo, was later moved to its place. The pyramid you see is actually a 1911 extension of the original, erected in 1811 on the anniversary of the Revolution of May, which is hidden inside. The bronze equestrian statue of General Manuel Belgrano, designer of Argentina's flag, dates from 1873 and stands at the east end of the plaza.

The plaza remains the traditional site for ceremonies as well as mass protests, including the bloody clashes in December 2001, as testified by ongoing heavy police presence and lots of crowd control barriers. The white headscarves painted round the Pirámide de Mayo represent the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (Mothers of May Square) who have marched here every Thursday at 3:30 for more than two decades. Housewives and mothers turned militant activists, they demand justice for los desaparecidos, the people who were "disappeared" during the military government's reign from 1976 to 1983. Here, too, you can witness the changing of the Grenadier Regiment guards; it takes place weekdays every two hours from 9 until 7, Saturday at 9 and 11, and Sunday at 9, 11, and 1.

The eclectic Casa de Gobierno, better known as the Casa Rosada (Hipólito Yrigoyen 219, Plaza de Mayo. 11/4344-3802 or 11/4344-3600. www.museo.gov.ar) or Pink House, is at the plaza's eastern end, with its back to the river. The building houses the government's executive branch—the president works here but lives elsewhere—and was built in the late 19th century over the foundations of an earlier customhouse and fortress. Swedish, Italian, and French architects have since modified the structure, which accounts for the odd mix of styles. Its curious hue dates from the presidency of Domingo Sarmiento, who ordered it painted pink as a symbol of unification between two warring political factions, the federales (whose color was red) and the unitarios (represented by white). Local legend has it that the original paint was made by mixing whitewash with bull's blood.

The balcony facing Plaza de Mayo has served as a presidential podium. From this lofty stage Evita rallied the descamisados (the shirtless—meaning the working class), Maradona sang along with soccer fans after winning one World Cup and coming second in another, and Madonna sang her filmed rendition of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina." Check for a small banner hoisted alongside the nation's flag, indicating "the president is in." Behind the structure, you can find the brick-wall remains of the 1845 Taylor Customs House, discovered after being buried for almost a century. To reach the Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada, take Línea A to Plaza de Mayo, D to Catedral, or E to Bolívar.

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