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montevideo: ciudad vieja

Montevideo, Ciudad Vieja, architecture map

Although founded practically two centuries after Buenos Aires, early Montevideo followed the same city plan in 1724 as almost every other Spanish colonial town. Fitting snugly into a small outcrop & taking advantage of a natural port, the Ciudad Vieja consists of only 100 blocks —give or take a few— arranged in an 8 x 13 grid. The establishment of Montevideo attempted to resist encroaching Portuguese settlements, namely Colonia del Sacramento founded in 1680. Montevideo’s population grew very slowly, but in 1829 city officials demolished fortress walls & the Old City took on its current character.

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argentina: córdoba, civil architecture

Argentina, Córdoba, city view

Perhaps to prove I saw more than religious architecture in Córdoba, there are even more photos in this post. Even though it was the middle of winter & the weather didn’t always cooperate, I managed to get a few decent shots. The newest architecture is pretty exciting —with a few notable exceptions— and the best from the past are a number of surviving Neocolonial buildings (pretty much the same period as Art Deco). So in no particular order, here’s the rest from my walks around Córdoba…

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argentina: córdoba, religious architecture

Argentina, Córdoba, primer trazado

Founded in 1573 by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera, he named the city after his wife’s Spanish hometown. Location was key. As geographic center between the capital in Perú & the major Atlantic outlet of the Río de la Plata, Córdoba became an ideal crossroads… connecting men & ideas throughout the Viceroyalty. Remember that Buenos Aires would be founded for a second time seven years after Córdoba.

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buenos aires: then & now

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Casa Rosada, then & now

In a previous incarnation of this blog, I posted a series of then & now shots from around Buenos Aires… an interesting way to look at the city. All sorts of problems need to be overcome: different makes of cameras, different fields of view, & increased traffic/people. Some pics have years when known, but most do not. Enjoy comparing the past & the present!

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