Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear

The Monument to General Carlos M. de Alvear (Spanish: Monumento ecuestre a Carlos María de Alvear) is a public sculpture monument located on Plaza Julio de Caro, a landmark in the Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was raised in honor of Carlos María de Alvear (1788-1852). It is a work by French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle. It is considered by the author as his masterpiece in the great monuments. In 1912, Rodolfo Alcorta, a friend of Bourdelle, invited the sculptor to participate in a concours for the realization of this monument. He received the commission in 1913. The author took nearly ten years to complete the sculpture. Once finished the monument was shipped to Buenos Aires from France in 1925. The sculpture and the pedestal of polished pink granite adorned with additional bronzes by the artist, stands in its current location since 12 October 1926.

1. Location

Located on the Plaza Julio de Caro, next to the Palais de Glace, located across Avenida Alvear, right next to the Plaza Intendente Alvear, exactly opposite the work that honors her son Torcuato de Alvear. This site is located in the heart of Recoleta.

1. Gallery


1. References

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Palais de Glace

The Palais de Glace (French pronunciation: [palɛ də ɡlas]) is a rumeno style Belle Époque building in the Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Located at 1430 Posadas street, it was modelled on the Palais des Glaces in Paris. The building was designed by J. L. Ruiz Basadre and inaugurated in 1911 as an ice skating rink and social club. The circular ice rink occupied a central room around which were arranged theatre-style boxes and rooms for social gatherings. The refrigeration plant was housed in the basement and on the first floor was a balcony, a cafe and organ. The building has a domed roof with a large central skylight which provided natural light for the skating rink below. As ice skating became less fashionable in the following decade, and tango gained increasing social acceptance, the Palais de Glace was converted into an elegant dance hall and played an important role in the promotion of this new dance phenomenon, initially opposed by the bourgeois elite. Many well-known tango orchestras and dancers appeared here over the years but towards the end of the 1920s the venue went into decline and in 1931 the building was taken over by the local authority and given to the Ministry of Education and Justice. From now on the building was used to house the National Office of Fine Arts and the annual Salón Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Exhibition of Fine Arts) was held there from 1932 until 1954. Starting in 1931 the interior of the building was remodelled by the architect and artist Alejandro Bustillo, to provide exhibition rooms whilst respecting the original design, and in 1934 three large murals were painted on the interior walls. In 1935 the exterior of the building was radically altered. In 1938 an exhibition of television equipment was staged here and between 1954 and 1960 the building was used as a studio annex by the television station Canal Siete. During this period the Salón Nacional was held at various venues including the National Museum of Fine Arts and the Argentine National Congress. Since 1960 the Palais de Glace has hosted the Salón Nacional together with a range of other art exhibitions and musical events. In 2004 the building was declared a National Historic Monument. In 2012 it was awarded by the Konex Foundation from Argentina for it contribution to the Visual Arts of Argentina.

Art Historic Site

Plaza Intendente Alvear

Plaza Intendente Alvear is a public space in Recoleta, Buenos Aires. It is commonly but mistakenly known as Plaza Francia, as the actual Plaza Francia is located at its side. It faces the Recoleta Cemetery and the cultural center.

Landmark Park

Parque Thays

The Parque Thays is a public space in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The park is located in the corners of Libertador avenue y Callao avenue. It was named after the French landscape architect Carlos Thays. One of the sculptures can be seen in this place is Torso Masculino Desnudo ("Nude Male Torso") by Colombian artist Fernando Botero. The land on which the park is located is the formerly occupied Italpark amusement park, which was closed in 1990.

Amusement Park Landmark

Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, Buenos Aires

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, was built as part of the Franciscan monastery, completed in 1732 and dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar. It is the second-oldest church in Buenos Aires, and has served as a parish church following the expulsion of the Franciscans in 1821. Its construction was begun by Italian Jesuit architect Andrés Blanqui and finished under Juan Bautista Prímoli.

Church Landmark