Plaza de Mayo only occupies the equivalent of two city blocks, but there isn’t a more important public space in the city or even the nation. Site of the second foundation of Buenos Aires, Plaza de Mayo has witnessed cries for independence, civil strife, waves of immigration, Perón-inspired fervor & more than a few popular protests in recent years. There’s no place better to see the city’s past & present.
But Plaza de Mayo does not reveal all its secrets at once… that’s where Endless Mile comes in.
Important background information provides the proper context. After all, the first foundation of Buenos Aires was hardly a success. In order to survive, starving settlers packed up, moved north & founded Asunción. But their abandoned settlement would be reborn from its ashes four decades later in Plaza de Mayo. Learn why Spaniards failed in 1536 & why they returned again in 1580.
The Spanish began to lose control of their South American territories when Buenos Aires broke away in 1810. We explain how & why this historic separation took place in the Cabildo (town hall), then spread throughout the continent… as well as reveal how many different versions of the Cabildo existed!
The cathedral may have taken centuries to build, but the beautiful interior was worth the wait. Follow our map to find the mausoleum of independence hero José de San Martín, a mini-replica of the papal altar & a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Luján… with a unique memorial to Holocaust victims.
Argentina’s first monument, the Pirámide de Mayo, takes center stage in Plaza de Mayo. Loaded with national symbolism, its significance is equally important to the Madres de Plaza de Mayo who risked their lives marching around the pirámide during the last military dictatorship. Their story inspires, as does that of Azucena Villaflor, buried at the base of the monument:
Naturally, this PDF discusses the most impressive buildings on the plaza: the gargantuan Banco de la Nación & the recently restored Casa Rosada… even its bombing in 1955. In addition, we also uncover the first customs house (partially excavated), the original Congress building (hidden today) & bring to life the Recova Vieja (old marketplace) that was demolished in 1883.
No place in Buenos Aires has changed as much as Plaza de Mayo. Concentrating over 430 years of history, this PDF examines the past & present the plaza in order to reveal its many secrets. Discover them with us!
Exclusive content: Opening in 2011, the Museo del Bicentenario takes visitors on a fascinating journey through Argentina’s past 200 years. But exhibits are only in Spanish, so we’ve mapped out the museum for you. And as always, this PDF contains original maps & artwork to help visualize the plaza’s development over time.
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Need more info? Read Prep for Plaza de Mayo on the Endless Mile blog or visit the photo albums on our Facebook page. One album consists of archival photos to show how Plaza de Mayo has changed over the years, while another shows all the sites visited on this walk.
Price: US $9.95 via PayPal. A link to download the PDF will appear after payment is confirmed. Be sure to hit the “Complete Transaction” button after payment to see the download link. Use Adobe Acrobat Reader to open & print the file.
Duration: The route takes about 3 hours to see everything at a leisurely pace. More time will be needed to visit museums. Several cafés can be found near the plaza to rest & recharge.
Format: A4 landscape, 32 pages. Our largest PDF yet!
Suggestions:
- Descriptions for all 12 points of interest are detailed. Given the amount of text, read through the entire walk before setting out.
- Due to its location in the center of downtown, Plaza de Mayo is most active during regular business hours (10:00—18:00) which is also the best time to visit. Banks generally close at 15:00, so the flow of people diminishes afterwards.
- Have fun & enjoy the walk!
Release date: 15 Jan 2012
** All parts of the map including the design, walking route & text are copyrighted. It is NOT for redistribution, resale or reprinting.
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