|
|
|
|
La Manzana de Las Luces Review
Read our Buenos Aires sights reviews. Or post your own.
La Manzana de Las Luces
- Address: Perú 272, at Av. Julio A. Roca (known as Diagonal Sur), Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
- Phone: 11/4342-6973
-
The Block of Illumination
- Category: Museums/Galleries, Architectural Sites, Educational Institutions
- Location: El Centro
Fodor's Review:
Constructed by the Jesuits in the early 1800s, prior to their expulsion, La Manzana de Las Luces, a cluster of buildings southwest of Plaza de Mayo, was an enclave meant for higher learning. The metaphorical luces (lights) of its name refer to the "illuminated" scholars who lived within. This was the colonial administrative headquarters for the Jesuits' vast land holdings in northeastern Argentina and Paraguay. In 1780 the city's first School of Medicine was established here, and it became home to the University of Buenos Aires early in the 19th century. Among the historic buildings still standing are the Parroquia de San Ignacio de Loyola and the neoclassic Colegio Nacional, a top-notch public school and a hotbed of political activism.
You can tour parts of the historic tunnels, still undergoing archaeological excavation, which linked several churches in the area to the Cabildo and the port. The original purpose of these tunnels is a source of speculation -- were they used for defense or smuggling?
- Cost: Free
- Open: Weekdays 10-7, weekends 3-7
- Metro: A to Plaza de Mayo, D to Catedral, E to Bolivar
Get Advice From Other Travelers
- Buenos Aires Clothing
13 responses; most recent on 11/13/2008, 02:18 pm - Older woman needs help with trip to Buenos Aires and Rio in Feb.and early March
8 responses; most recent on 10/13/2008, 11:12 pm - Rio, Buenos Aires or both?
4 responses; most recent on 10/10/2008, 08:33 am - Buenos Aires Street Location
12 responses; most recent on 09/22/2008, 12:30 am
Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip >>
- Adventure Travel from
-
Argentina
$1,595
Argentina offers stunning mountain scenery,... -
Argentina Active
$2,050
Explore the rainforests of Argentina on this... -
Patagonia Gold
$6,650
Without a doubt the "Lake District Crossing"...
Buy the Guidebook
-
$18.95
-
$22.95
Get the Fodor's Newsletter
Read the current issue
For more travel ideas, tips, and deals, sign up for the Fodor's newsletter here. Browse previous issues.
