The Casa Rosada is the headquarters of the Executive Power "National Executive Power (Argentina)") of the Argentine Republic, and is located in the historic center "Monserrat (Buenos Aires)") of the federative capital city of Buenos Aires.[1] Within it is the office of the president of the Argentine Nation and its different secretariats, and the head of the Cabinet of Ministers.
This building is located at 50 Balcarce Street, in the Monserrat neighborhood "Monserrat (Buenos Aires)") in the City of Buenos Aires, in front of the historic Plaza de Mayo. Its characteristic color is pink and it is considered one of the most emblematic buildings in Buenos Aires. It also houses the Government House Museum, with objects related to the country's presidents. In 1942 it was declared a National Historical Monument.[2].
History
The building is located on what was the Royal Fortress of Don Juan Baltasar of Austria, built by Governor Fernando Ortiz de Zárate in 1594 on the then cliffed banks of the Río de la Plata. The fortress "Fortress (architecture)") was rebuilt in 1713, replacing it with a very sober construction of almost one hectare, surrounded by a wide moat, with four rectangular towers "Torreón (construction)") and, overlooking the Plaza Mayor - current Plaza de Mayo -, a drawbridge. This fort received the name Castle of San Miguel Arcángel in 1720, when the defense works were completed. It served as headquarters for the governors, then for the viceroys of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and later for the independent governments since 1810. In the 1820s, Rivadavia ordered modifications that replaced the drawbridge with a neoclassical style portico.
The fortress was partially demolished in the 1850s to build the New Customs building in its place, a project by the English architect Edward Taylor. Of the old building, only an arch and one of the viceregal buildings inside the demolished walled enclosure remained, which was renovated as a government house. Under the presidency of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, the building was painted pink, a color that it preserves to this day with some variations in tone over time, from pale pink to something close to orange.
According to tradition, this color is due to Sarmiento's desire to symbolically represent the fusion of the parties that led the bloody civil wars of the first half of the century, with the mix of white supposedly used by the Unitarians and the red of the Federals. The legend, however, seems unlikely: Unitarians generally identified themselves with the color light blue. On the other hand, the color pink was widely used during the 19th century. It arises from the combination of lime paint with bovine blood, the latter being used for its water-repellent and fixing properties.
Pink House
Introduction
The Casa Rosada is the headquarters of the Executive Power "National Executive Power (Argentina)") of the Argentine Republic, and is located in the historic center "Monserrat (Buenos Aires)") of the federative capital city of Buenos Aires.[1] Within it is the office of the president of the Argentine Nation and its different secretariats, and the head of the Cabinet of Ministers.
This building is located at 50 Balcarce Street, in the Monserrat neighborhood "Monserrat (Buenos Aires)") in the City of Buenos Aires, in front of the historic Plaza de Mayo. Its characteristic color is pink and it is considered one of the most emblematic buildings in Buenos Aires. It also houses the Government House Museum, with objects related to the country's presidents. In 1942 it was declared a National Historical Monument.[2].
History
The building is located on what was the Royal Fortress of Don Juan Baltasar of Austria, built by Governor Fernando Ortiz de Zárate in 1594 on the then cliffed banks of the Río de la Plata. The fortress "Fortress (architecture)") was rebuilt in 1713, replacing it with a very sober construction of almost one hectare, surrounded by a wide moat, with four rectangular towers "Torreón (construction)") and, overlooking the Plaza Mayor - current Plaza de Mayo -, a drawbridge. This fort received the name Castle of San Miguel Arcángel in 1720, when the defense works were completed. It served as headquarters for the governors, then for the viceroys of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and later for the independent governments since 1810. In the 1820s, Rivadavia ordered modifications that replaced the drawbridge with a neoclassical style portico.
The fortress was partially demolished in the 1850s to build the New Customs building in its place, a project by the English architect Edward Taylor. Of the old building, only an arch and one of the viceregal buildings inside the demolished walled enclosure remained, which was renovated as a government house. Under the presidency of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, the building was painted pink, a color that it preserves to this day with some variations in tone over time, from pale pink to something close to orange.
In 1873, also during Sarmiento's presidency, the first Post Office Palace "Palacio de Correos (Buenos Aires)"), the work of the Swedish architect Carlos Kihlberg, was planned in the southern space of the property that had been left free by the demolition of the fort.
The Post Office Palace, delayed,[3] was completed in 1878 and was inaugurated by President Nicolás Avellaneda in 1879. The new building significantly overshadowed the seat of government, so President Julio Argentino Roca requested a widening and repair project in 1882. The project was designed by the Department of Engineers headed by the Swede Enrique Aberg (author of other notable works in Argentina), and involved the construction of a new façade for the Government House, giving it a similar appearance to the post office building, changing the second floor windows for a gallery-balcony.
In 1884 the restrictions of available space in the building were already evident, and it was planned to unify the buildings designed by Aberg and Kihlberg and allocate them exclusively to the government function. Thus, the task was entrusted to the Italian architect Francesco Tamburini. This projected the union of the twin buildings through a large monumental arch, which today constitutes the access on Balcarce Street and whose construction began in 1886, followed by the extension of the building on Rivadavia Street, completed around 1890. This marked the end of what remained of the old Fort, preserving some walls and one of the embrasures, which can be seen in the current Bicentennial Museum. The expansion of the palace continued towards the current Yrigoyen street, completed around 1896, and finally the east façade facing Puerto Madero, with which the building was officially inaugurated during Roca's second presidency, in 1898.
In 1910, the French architect Norbert Maillart built the winter garden on the east side, through a gallery with paired columns on the ground floor, which supported the garden located on the first floor. It had a glass roof supported by iron columns and indoor plants, three chandeliers with lampshades, a small table with rattan rocking chairs and rugs. This garden was part of the renovations carried out by President Roque Saénz Peña, who, due to an illness that prevented him from moving, became the only president to use the Casa Rosada as a permanent home. In 1927 the windows of this garden on Paseo Colón were closed and the building was expanded by adding two office blocks on the facade of Parque Colón.[5].
In 1937, at the initiative of President Agustín P. Justo, and following the general opinion of the intellectuals of his time, it was decided that the building would be completely demolished to create a perspective from the Plaza de Mayo towards the river, and extend Mayo Avenue to Puerto Madero.[6] At the beginning of 1938,[7] the demolition of the rooms on the roof and the section of the old Post Office and Telecommunications building that overlooked Victoria Street began. (today Hipólito Yrigoyen), thus reducing the south side by 17 meters. But in February of that year, Roberto Marcelino Ortiz assumed the presidency, who in April decided to suspend the demolition works and ordered the reconstruction of the façade on Victoria Street (now Yrigoyen). In addition, it was necessary to relocate an access entrance to the Plaza de Mayo station "Plaza de Mayo (subway)") of line A "Line A (Buenos Aires Subway)") of the subway, which was located on the layout of the expansion of the narrow street. Although it is not evident to the naked eye, this remodeling affected the symmetry of the façade, by moving the central arch to the south and meant the loss of an important part of the building built in 1878.
On May 21, 1942, it was declared a National Historical Monument by decree No. 120412/42.[8].
In 1955, the military opposed to the presidency of Juan Domingo Perón bombed the government headquarters and caused great damage.[5] The frigate captain Néstor Noriega unloaded the first bomb on the building, which completely destroyed the aforementioned winter garden. Over time it was replaced by more offices.
In 1942, when carrying out excavations related to sanitary works on Paseo Colón and Yrigoyen, a section of the underground basements of what had been the New Customs was located. It was decided to integrate them with the old remains of the old fort to form a History Museum (the Casa Rosada Museum), inaugurated in 1957, where objects of presidential interest and selected belongings are exhibited, such as belts, canes, books, furniture and three carriages.[5].
The remains of the old fortress were partially excavated in 1991, and the discovered structures were incorporated into the Casa Rosada Museum. Located behind the building, these works led to the detours of Avenida Paseo Colón, and the unification of the Casa Rosada with Parque Colón behind it. The following year, general painting works were carried out on the exteriors.
Also during this period, it was used as a location and filming set for the film Evita "Evita (film)") in 1996. Madonna "Madonna (singer)") and Antonio Banderas personally went to ask the then president Carlos Saúl Menem for permission to perform the scene in which the song Don't cry for me, Argentina&action=edit&redlink=1 "Don't cry for me, Argentina (Madonna version) (not yet written)") is performed from the balcony of the Casa Rosada, permission that was finally granted. In 1998, the same president commissioned a group of specialists to restore the main façade, expressly seeking a new shade of pink that was more similar to the original made with lime and animal blood, since since 1989 the building had worn a very weak pale tone, due to an error when choosing the paint. moldings and details. Finally, modifications were made to the interior rooms, and a restoration of the White Room.[10] The main façade was covered with an immense fabric that showed a life-size photo of the building, showing the color that it would look like after the restoration using the new shade of pink, but when it was discovered that December 10, with the inauguration of Fernando de la Rúa, criticism arose from several specialists who considered that the tone was too intense, and to make matters worse, it contrasted with the pale tone of the other three facades that had not been painted again.[11][12] But after Menem left power, the works were paralyzed and the 2001 crisis put a brake on them for three years.[13].
Only under the mandate of Néstor Kirchner were the works resumed. In 2006 the ambitious work began,[14] with the repainting of the three facades that had been left unrestored, and the recovery of the moldings that had been damaged by the vegetation that had grown on the plaster;[15] in addition, the façade that faces Plaza de Mayo was repainted, so that it looked in tune with the other three.[16] But it went further, demolishing ceilings, technical mezzanines and walls. provisional structures that had been placed in recent decades to generate more work space, moving offices to other buildings.[17] In addition, the heliport through which de la Rúa had left the building and his mandate in December 2001 was disabled and new service installations that had been laid in a precarious manner were made. Parque Colón was fenced and transformed de facto into a private garden of the Casa Rosada, causing controversy because it was a public square.[18][19].
The works were continued by President Cristina Fernández, who in addition to continuing with the restoration of the rooms, the mosaic floors from which pieces were missing, or the mural paintings that had been covered with smooth paint at some point in the century, inaugurated a series of thematic rooms from various areas of Argentine culture and history, moving the offices of the Presidency of the Nation from those rooms.[20].
For the 2010 bicentennial celebrations of the May Revolution, some modifications were made and the Bicentennial Museum was opened in the restored area of what was the Taylor Customs yard.
When in 1890 the architect Tamburini joined the government house with the post office building, it had been planned to place a clock in front of the central arch, but because it was too expensive, it was not placed and space was left for its future placement. Only as the celebrations of the bicentennial of the May revolution approached, Guillermo del Valle, owner of the monumental clock company “Gnomon”, who was carrying out the tasks of recycling the clock of the church of San Ignacio in Buenos Aires, noticed the shortage and decided to donate a clock to complete its design. Once permission was obtained from the management of the National Commission of Monuments and Historic Places and the approval of the president at that time, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, it was installed and inaugurated on October 18, 2010.[21][22].
Lounges
White Living Room
The White Room has a floor made of Slavonian oak, which was initially brought from Belgium in 1903 and was restored for the celebrations of the Bicentennial of the Homeland, since there and in the adjoining North and South rooms the gala dinner was held with the presence of international leaders.
The original project and construction of this room is the work of architect Francesco Tamburini. Its perimeter columns with composite order capitals (Ionic-Corinthian) present reliefs with grotesque motifs in the form of vases, chimeric birds, acanthus leaves and the Argentine National Shield.
From the center of the room hangs a chandelier "Araña (lamp)") made of bronze on gold, made in France and assembled in Buenos Aires for placement by the Azaretto Hnos house. Its weight is 1,250 kilos and it carries 192 lamps. The lighting is completed by numerous sconces installed throughout the room.
On the ceiling of the room you can see a painting on canvas, the work of the Italian artist Luigi De Servi, made in 1910 in tribute to the Centennial of the May Revolution. This painting is an allegory that commemorates two key moments in the history of Argentina: The Revolution of May 1810 and July 9, 1816, the day of the Declaration of Argentine Independence.
The center of the room has an important ornamental front in the shape of a fireplace, on which is located the sculpture that represents the bust of the Homeland, the work of the Italian artist Ettore Ximenes made of Carrara marble. Above the bust stands the National Shield made of bronze and placed on a marble plaque of different shades. This set is crowned by two angels made of patinated wood holding trumpets of glory. This ornamentation was purchased from the House of Forest in Paris in 1910.
In the right corner is the bust of General San Martín, made by the Filipino artist Félix Pardo de Tavera. The bust of General Manuel Belgrano, located in the left corner since 1993, was made by the Argentine sculptor Juan Carlos Ferraro.
Blue Room
Located in the basement of the Casa Rosada, this room exhibits works by different national artists in homage to various styles and pictorial trends.
The selection of paintings in the Azul room emphasizes Argentine landscapes that, portrayed through local painters, allow the representation of a wide range of regions and provinces.
The collection is displayed by eras and schools. The rooms are architecturally similar, linked by the blue tone of the walls, there are golden ornaments, imposing chandeliers and a carved gilded wooden table with a marble top (C. 1900) in the French neo-baroque Louis XIV style.
Press Room
On September 16, 2009, the Bicentennial Thinkers and Writers Hall was inaugurated, the site where the Arts Hall was previously located. The space invited us to honor the great exponents of national culture. Portraits of Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz, Arturo Jauretche, Jorge Luis Borges, Alejandra Pizarnik, María Elena Walsh, Rodolfo Walsh, Enrique Santos Discépolo, Julio Cortázar, Mariano Moreno, Juan Bautista Alberdi, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Leopoldo Marechal, Haroldo Conti, among others, represented a tribute to the men and women who are part of the historical, cultural and political heritage of Argentines. This room was equipped with everything necessary to carry out journalistic coverage of official government events.
As of December 2023, the room was renamed "Press Room" and began to host press conferences in their entirety, generally being used for conferences given by the presidential spokesperson.[23].
Eva Perón Room
This room, located where the vice president's office once functioned, covers the most significant moments of Eva Duarte's public and private life. It shows scenes, documents, works of art and photographs of a woman who marked Argentine history. It was used by Eva as one of her offices when she presided over the Eva Perón Foundation.
Structurally, it is made up of two parts: the dining room and the living room. The dining room has a large oak table and 28 chairs, an ornamental fireplace front made of carved and molded cedar wood with neo-Renaissance motifs (C. 1890), two imposing identical mirrors and two twin gilt bronze chandeliers with crystal lampshades (C. 1900) that complete the decoration.
The ceiling is decorated with moldings of different reliefs, formats and tones, fresco paintings with allegories on a light blue background and golden stars and Shields of the Argentine Provinces. c. 1890.
Hall of Argentine Scientists
The Hall of Argentine Scientists was inaugurated on September 1, 2009 and occupies the place where the Ceremonial and Protocol offices previously functioned.
Portraits of the three Argentine Nobel Prize winners in science, Bernardo Houssay, César Milstein and Luis Leloir, are exhibited there; of the former Minister of Health Ramón Carrillo and Salvador Mazza, Florentino Ameghino and René Favaloro.
South Hall
This room communicates on one side with the Stained Glass Gallery and on the other with the White Room. Being adjacent to the White Room, it has sometimes fulfilled the functions of an “appendix”, as a passage sector or it is used as an extension of it.
Its architectural and aesthetic appearance is preserved almost intact. It is more austere than the Blanco, but has elaborate moldings on the ceiling and walls and important ornamental plasterwork. Its columns have rich reliefs decorated with simpler but equally striking motifs.
A bronze chandelier with glass leaves hangs from the ceiling and sconces placed on the wall complete the lighting.
North Room
To enter this area you must go through the White Room. For a long time it was used for Cabinet meetings and that is why it is known as the Hall of Agreements. Given its main function, the furniture is the most impressive thing in the place; a Victorian-style mahogany Agreement Table made in 1949.
You can also see, throughout the living room, the old radiators that helped to heat the environment.
Historically, busts of presidents decorated this room. They were later moved to the Hall of Honor, where they are today. Today, the North Room is used for business meetings.
Heroes of Malvinas Hall
This space was inaugurated on April 14, 2014 under the name "Hall of the Native Peoples" and replaced the previously called Colón Hall. It is located on the ground floor of the Government Palace, facing the Río de la Plata, and has a view of Plaza Colón.
Continuing with the enhancement of the Government House, the ceiling was restored, as well as the parquet floor.
The spacious living room displays its wax-colored walls, which symbolize the earth. Previously, graphic panels had been arranged in them that, in the form of a timeline, detailed the history of the different tribes and peoples. It had burgundy-colored carpets that showed indigenous motifs, as did the armchairs. In the center of the place you could see a table in the shape of the chakana cross ("cross of the four stairs" in Quechua and "cross of the four bridges" in Aymara), which constitutes the synthesis of the Andean worldview. A modern interactive system had been set up on this table through which, through touch screens and headphones, visitors could access complete audiovisual material about the aborigines. In the center of it, a Wiphala was displayed, the quadrangular flag of seven colors with which the native peoples identify themselves. A painting with a photograph of Rufino Ibáñez, last chief of the Camusu Aike reserve, and another of a group of Tehuelche women and girls posing in front of a "kaú" (tent made with guanaco skins) stood out in the room, among a large number of images that portrayed members of the communities. A large number of archaeological pieces on loan from the Juan Bautista Ambrosetti Ethnographic Museum were also exhibited.
On April 2, 2024, on the anniversary of the start of the Malvinas conflict, by order of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, it was renamed "Salón Héroes de Malvinas". Currently, the room displays photos of combatants during the war, as well as display cases with objects that belonged to soldiers and generals.
Martín Fierro Room
In October 2010, this room was inaugurated in tribute to Martín Fierro, the famous character of the gaucho poem created by José Hernández.
On one of its walls is the mural “Martín Fierro” made in acrylic on fabric by the artist Ricardo Carpani (1990). The work of José Hernández is displayed in seven panels in which the climactic scenes of the poem are reflected.
In this room you can see, in addition to Carpani's work, a portrait of the writer José Hernández, a mate made in silver by the goldsmith Juan Carlos Pallarols and a vicuña wool blanket woven and embroidered with the National Coat of Arms, made for the Centennial Exhibition of 1910.
Hall of Heroes
It was inaugurated on March 6, 2009 by former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner under the name "Salón de las Mujeres". It was used to deliver presidential messages.
It was closed by Mauricio Macri in 2016 and refunctionalized as an office by President Alberto Fernández in 2020.
On March 8, 2024, the executive branch renamed it "'Salón de los Próceres".[24] In it you can see gigantographs of prominent Argentine heroes, politicians and intellectuals such as General Don José de San Martín and General Manuel Belgrano, of the lawyer and promoter of liberalism in Argentina Juan Bautista Alberdi, of the writer and intellectual Esteban Echeverría and of the former presidents Julio Argentino Roca and Carlos Menem
among others.
Galleries
Hall of Honor
The main entrance to the Casa Rosada is the one that points towards the north side, along Rivadavia Street, where the esplanade where the President of the Nation and possibly some special guests usually arrive is located.
This entrance gives access to an important lobby, known as "Hall of Honor" or "Gallery of Presidential Busts", where there are two art deco style reliefs made by José Fioravanti that symbolize "The Exaltation of the Young Homeland" and "The Heroic Sentiment of the Race", located on the side walls of the enclosure.
A group of glass doors located on the wall opposite the main entrance give access to the "Patio of the Palm Trees".
Surrounding the Hall of Honor is the "Bust Gallery", where all the deceased Argentine presidents are portrayed in Carrara marble.
The first busts exhibited in that room were made between 1883 and 1884, commissioned by President Julio Argentino Roca. The tradition of adding the bust of the first leaders after their term of office ends dates back to that time.
These busts were initially located in the Presidential Precincts on the first floor, but in 1973, during the presidency of Alejandro Agustín Lanusse, it was decided to move them to the Hall of Honor and Decree 4022 was issued, which governs the placement of the Presidential Busts, indicating that this will be done once a period of no less than two presidential terms has elapsed, after the end of the corresponding mandate.
The original decoration of the walls and ceilings of the Hall of Honor were made towards the end of the century with filleted motifs, and with a clearly Italianate trace. That decoration was hidden under a layer of light paint in a work that was done around 1913. In 1980 that painting was removed from the ceilings and from that time on the imposing backgrounds could be seen again.
At the ends of the hall, two impressive staircases, also made of marble, give access to the first floor of the building, where the White Room stands out.
Gallery of Latin American Patriots of the Bicentennial
The Gallery of Latin American Patriots of the Bicentennial was inaugurated on May 25, 2010 on the occasion of the celebrations for the 200 years of the Homeland.
The room is located in the center of the Casa Rosada and displays portraits of heroes and personalities of the continent that were contributed by countries in the region.
On May 4, 2015, five years after the election of former president Néstor Kirchner as first secretary general of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), a painting of Kirchner himself and one of former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez Frías were incorporated.
The paintings in the gallery were removed from the Casa Rosada in February 2016 and transferred to the Bicentennial Museum.[25].
Stairs
France Stairs
This staircase is used as the main access to the Reception Halls and Presidential Rooms, located on the first floor of the Presidential Palace.
It has on its landing an important tapestry woven in the Gobelins Manufacture, Paris - France, according to a cartoon by the painter Alfredo Roll") from 1911, which represents General José de San Martín riding a white steed, wearing a military uniform and guided by two winged glories. The side guard reproduces specimens of Argentine fauna and flora, and at the bottom there is a dedication that indicates that it is an official gift from the French Republic to Argentina.
The walls and ceilings of the enclosure preserve the original paintings, in this case the ornamental motif is "trompe l'oeil" moldings, with Renaissance motifs. The bronze lighting fixtures are French and were installed at the end of the century when electric lighting was installed in the House, which replaced gas lighting.
Italy Stairs
On its landing you can see a marble and bronze plaque that the Kingdom of Italy gave to Roque Sáenz Peña during his diplomatic mission in Europe as a gift for the first Centennial; That plaque symbolizes the brotherhood between the two countries.
The ceilings display the original filleting paint. In the pallier, on the Victorian table, in the center, there is a reduced replica of one of the two horses that in the century adorned the entrance to the castle of Marly Le Roi, property of Louis XIV and which are currently in the new wing of the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Courtyards
Patio of the Palm Trees
The four yatay palm trees, placed in 1904, give their name to the famous patio around which the rooms of the north wing of the Casa Rosada are located.
The Patio de las Palmeras is the lung of the House. In its center, there is an artistic iron fountain of French origin surrounded by flower beds with a perimeter guard in the form of a festoon of white Carrara marble with a gray vein.
It has perimeter galleries on the ground floor and first floor. Decorative paintings were made on the walls and ceilings of both.
A restoration of its original floor was also carried out, with tiles that were imported from Italy.
In addition, allegorical murals were discovered in the triangles lateral to the columns of the arches that make up the patio, the shape of which at that time could not be appreciated. These are part of the popular grotesque neorealist imagination of the late 20th century and early 20th century. It is presumed that these murals were made in preparation for the celebration of the Centennial of the May Revolution.
Cistern Courtyard
The Patio del Aljibe is one of the most picturesque, and least known, spaces of the Casa Rosada. Located in the south wing of the Government Palace, this patio has in its center a cistern that has been recycled in 2011. On its sides, enormous vases shaped like cups and a bench that has the national coat of arms complete the decoration.
Patio Malvinas Argentinas
Located on the ground floor of the government palace, the Malvinas Argentinas patio was inaugurated on May 2, 2012, the day that marked the 30th anniversary of the sinking, by the enemy, of the ARA General Belgrano Cruise, which caused the death of 323 sailors during the South Atlantic conflict.
The space has a fountain whose waters show a light blue and white color, two large flower pots topped with cups with flowers and a metal installation that illustrates the outline of the Malvinas Islands.
Exteriors
West Facade
It is consolidated on the union of the Post Office and Telegraph Palace, inaugurated in 1876 by Nicolás Avellaneda, and the Government House that President Julio Argentino Roca ordered to be built in 1882 on what was the former residence of the viceroys (currently, the space of that residence is occupied by the Patio de las Palmeras). That work began in 1884 and was led by the Italian architect Francesco Tamburini.
As there was a small difference in height between the original buildings, Tamburini concealed it with the construction of the arch that joined them. Despite this, a small asymmetry can be observed in the place where the moldings of the two components join the central arch.
As the house is located on a ravine, this façade has three floors, while the one that faces the opposite side and points towards the Río de la Plata has four.
Tamburini's project included the placement of shields of the Argentine Confederation at the ends of the domes that the House displays. These were replaced by monumental ciboriums in the second half of the century. Only one of these shields remains today and is located at the west end of the north façade.
Above the arch that serves as the entrance to 50 Balcarce Street you can see a large clock that was inaugurated within the framework of the celebrations of the Bicentennial of the May Revolution. This clock was projected in the original plans presented by Tamburini, but it had never been installed.
On the other hand, starting in 2003, the section that occupies Balcarce Street was made pedestrian, the esplanade gained meters towards the fence, a ramp for people with reduced mobility was built and two water fountains and six flower pots were installed to beautify the entrance to the building through that sector.
Plaza Colon
The Plaza Colón "Parque Colón (Buenos Aires)"), which is located in front of the east façade, was extensively remodeled and its reopening took place on December 6, 2007.
The sidewalks were replaced and a fence was installed that borders the entire perimeter of the Casa and Parque Colón, so the space was annexed to the Government Palace as a rear garden.
Two medium-sized fountains enrich the landscape, while another larger one shines next to the national flag mast and, at night, its jets draw the blue and white colors of Argentina in the air through a play of lighting.
In addition, an impluvium (nursery) was built in which the plants that adorn the Government House are maintained.
A monument was also located there to the victims of the bombing with which the Armed Forces attacked the Casa Rosada in 1955, when Juan Domingo Perón governed the Nation.
Points of interest
presidential office
It was once the presidential dining room and began to be used as an office in 1946. When the president is in the House, two grenadiers guard the entrance.
presidential elevator
In the anteroom that leads to these rooms is the presidential elevator. This elevator, according to the tradition maintained in the House, was the gift that the Infanta Isabel de Borbón y Borbón gave to the Government Palace when she visited the country in 1910. It is made of carved inlaid oak and displays the national coat of arms on each of the glass mirrors.
Balcarce 50
The large entrance arch and the covered patios found in the axis of Balcarce 50 support the assembly of building structures made in different years, responding to projects by different architects.
Until the end of the century there was an internal passage that led to the New Customs.
Architecture
Contenido
La Casa Rosada es una pieza ecléctica, que combina elementos de diversos orígenes, como las mansardas de origen francés, las logias "Logia (arquitectura)") italianas y las ventanas de los proyectos de los arquitectos Aberg y Kihlberg, con la expresión clasicista típica de Tamburini.
El conjunto se desarrolla en tres plantas sobre el oeste (calle Balcarce) y cuatro niveles más subsuelo sobre el este, gracias a la pendiente del terreno desde la Plaza de Mayo hacia el Parque Colón "Parque Colón (Buenos Aires)"), originada por el Río de la Plata, que naturalmente, hasta aproximadamente 1890, llegaba con sus barrancas hasta este lugar, y se fue alejando hacia el este mediante sucesivos rellenos para ganar tierras.
La fachada principal presenta un eje de simetría marcado sobre el arco monumental diseñado por Tamburini, pero la simetría está desvirtuada por la demolición del ala sur en 1938. Además, la famosa loggia en el primer piso del ala norte se diferencia claramente de las ventanas apareadas de estilo florentino del ala sur. Hay una combinación ecléctica de ornamentos, pero predomina la influencia del Renacimiento italiano, a pesar de la mansarda que originalmente estaba revestida en pizarra "Pizarra (roca)"), y fue cambiada por una cubierta de bronce en la década de 1960. Varios ornamentos y molduras desaparecieron a lo largo de los últimos cien años, particularmente la crestería de hierro que adornaba la mansarda, y unas molduras con el Escudo Nacional, que fueron reemplazadas por copones, en la cornisa.
La fachada norte, diseñada completamente por el arquitecto Tamburini, se destaca por la entrada de carruajes que sobresale del volumen macizo del edificio, destacándose con una galería para la circulación de vehículos y una escalinata que salva el desnivel de la calle que marca una plataforma que originalmente estaba destacada con dos estatuas de bronce de ángeles tocando trompetas de la victoria, luego removidas. En esta fachada se hace notable la difícil unión del edificio original diseñado por el ingeniero Aberg con la ampliación realizada por Tamburini, ya que el primero está rematado por la mencionada mansarda de bronce, y el segundo tiene una losa plana. Una de las ventanas del edificio de Aberg fue directamente seccionada a la mitad por la ampliación, y es un detalle de la desprolijidad con la cual fue ejecutada la obra.
La fachada este, que mira a Puerto Madero y al río, está precedida por el Parque Colón —aunque originalmente la separaba del mismo la avenida paseo Colón")— que permite jerarquizar el edificio y genera un acceso que recientemente fue enrejado para transformarse de facto en los jardines del palacio presidencial. Esta fachada también pertenece al diseño de Tamburini, aunque originalmente tenía dos retiros simétricos que posteriormente fueron eliminados, construyendo ampliaciones que dejaron una fachada lisa. La cornisa del edificio está adornada con un conjunto escultórico.
La fachada sur es la más pobre del edificio, ya que la original diseñada por Tamburini fue demolida en la década de 1930, y luego de ello no fue reconstruida, sino que apenas se ejecutó un muro sin ornamentar que contrasta por su falta de molduras con el resto del edificio. Además, la presencia del Palacio de Hacienda, enfrentado directamente con la Casa Rosada, impide la jerarquización del edificio que se da en los otros frentes, debido a la poca distancia que se puede tomar de la fachada.
Subsoil
There are the Hall of Argentine Painters and Paintings and the Carpani Stairs, which leads to the upper level. On the Yrigoyen street side. This level is accessed directly from Parque Colón, through a set of three wooden doors, currently closed.
Ground floor
The access esplanade on Rivadavia Avenue leads to the Hall of Busts, where the sculptures of the Argentine presidents are located and is the Hall of Honor, which is used for illustrious visits. It has a checkerboard tiled floor, and coffered ceilings painted with various images, discovered in 1980 after having been covered by plain paint for seventy years. The decision to place the presidential busts in this place was made by the dictator Alejandro Lanusse in 1973. This space is succeeded by the famous Patio de las Palmeras, with loggias that surround it on all floors.
From Balcarce Street you can access the main hall of the building, a large space with corridors that open out from the upper levels and large skylights on the roof that allow natural lighting, where the open passage that separated the two independent buildings was originally located, and today the Gallery of Latin American Patriots operates.
From the Yrigoyen street side, there is the small Patio Malvinas Argentinas, original of the building designed by Kihlberg in 1873, in which the staircase of the old Post Office building stands out, which stands out as a hierarchical volume on one of the facades, and there is a bronze vase that functions as a fountain, throwing white and light blue waters. Only the wall added improvisedly in 1938 separates it from Yrigoyen Street, after the demolition of the entire south wing. There is also the Patio del Aljibe, another recently reopened space, where a white marble cistern stars in the patio, adorned on its perimeter by ciboriums that function as flower pots. Originally, it was topped by a skylight that was removed during demolition in the 1930s.
First floor
From this room, two large staircases of honor (called Italia and France) lead to the first floor of the north wing, where the White Room is located, which serves as the headquarters for the great official receptions. The most important acts of government are carried out there, the most relevant being the reception by each President of his command attributes: the presidential sash and the presidential cane "Presidential Cane (Argentina)").
The ceremonies of the Oath of Ministers and Secretaries of State are also carried out; the presentations of Credential Letters of foreign Ambassadors, accredited in Argentina; receptions of special guests; the signing of international treaties; the speeches and messages of greatest importance, directed by the President of the Nation and occasionally, in the event of the death of personalities of national relevance, as a wake room.
and the presidential offices, including the South Room (old room for protocol ceremonies) and the North Room (old office for cabinet meetings). This north wing is structured around the Patio de las Palmeras.
Also located on this level are the Argentine Women Hall, the Eva Perón Hall, the Argentine Scientists Hall and the Popular Idols Gallery, thematic spaces inaugurated during the presidency of Cristina Fernández in former offices of the Presidency staff, whose employees were transferred to other offices.
The corridors surrounding the Patio de las Palmeras stand out, which have painted glass that filters natural light and isolates the corridors from the outside, although they occasionally open, and the floors decorated with Italian-style mosaics, restored during the presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
The Casa Rosada Presidential Museum is located in this basement and adjacent galleries. All the original external premises have direct lighting, while in the internal ones lighting and ventilation are provided through access to galleries "Gallery (room)") organized around patios. The original structure is made of masonry walls of various thicknesses, with slabs simply supported by brick vaults with iron or wood profiles.
Pink House Museum
This museum is closed indefinitely. Several of its objects are in the current Bicentennial Museum. It was created on May 27, 1957 and its collection is made up of personal objects, portraits, documents and sculptures of those who have held the position of President of the Nation, no less than thirty years having elapsed since the conclusion of their mandates.
The collection has objects typical of the presidential investiture, such as the "Bastón presidential (Argentina)" canes and the presidential bands of several presidents, where the presidential band used by President Julio Argentino Roca in his second term stands out.
It also has carriages used by different presidents: you can see the Cabriolet Mylord, used by José Evaristo Uriburu, a Landau or landau "Landó (carriage)") belonging to Julio Argentino Roca and the Americana, owned by Hipólito Yrigoyen.
Among the furniture, the presidential chair used during the mandate of Santiago Derqui stands out, although important objects can also be seen such as a rocking chair and a desk belonging to Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and part of the original furniture of the building.
The museum has personal objects that belonged to the presidents, including a bowler hat "Bombín (hat)") and a cane belonging to Hipólito Yrigoyen, a Chinese porcelain fountain that belonged to Bernardino Rivadavia and a travel toiletry bag used by Julio Argentino Roca.
• - The Messidor.
• - Quinta de Olivos.
• - Tourism in the City of Buenos Aires.
• - President of the Argentine Nation.
• - Fort of Buenos Aires.
• - Congress of the Argentine Nation.
• - Supreme Court of the Argentine Nation.
• - Moncloa Palace.
• - Portal:Argentina. Content related to Argentina.
• - Portal:Buenos Aires. Content related to Buenos Aires.
• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Casa Rosada.
• - Pink House. Government Palace.
• - Casa Rosada Museum.
• - History, photos and historical images of the Casa Rosada.
• - The architectural evolution of the Casa Rosada.
• - Origin of the Fort of Buenos Aires.
• - Walks through Montserrat Extensive photographic tour of the Casa Rosada.
• - Diagnosis of La Rosada About the restoration work. Supplement "M2", Newspaper "Página/12", 08/23/2002.
• - The house is not in order About the modifications made to the building in its history. Clarín Newspaper, April 1, 2007.
• - Night View of the Casa Rosada - 360° Panorama.
• - Curiosities of the Casa Rosada.
References
[1] ↑ Franco, Liliana. Los secretos de la Casa Rosada. Buenos Aires. p. 19. ISBN 978-950-07-6011-9. |fechaacceso= requiere |url= (ayuda).
[5] ↑ a b c d Gutiérrez, Ramón; Berjman, Sonia (1995). La Plaza de Mayo, escenario de la vida argentina. Colección cuadernos del Águila, Fundación Banco de Boston.
[6] ↑ Luna, Félix (1978). Ortiz. Reportaje a la Argentina Opulenta. Sudamericana. p. 80.
According to tradition, this color is due to Sarmiento's desire to symbolically represent the fusion of the parties that led the bloody civil wars of the first half of the century, with the mix of white supposedly used by the Unitarians and the red of the Federals. The legend, however, seems unlikely: Unitarians generally identified themselves with the color light blue. On the other hand, the color pink was widely used during the 19th century. It arises from the combination of lime paint with bovine blood, the latter being used for its water-repellent and fixing properties.
In 1873, also during Sarmiento's presidency, the first Post Office Palace "Palacio de Correos (Buenos Aires)"), the work of the Swedish architect Carlos Kihlberg, was planned in the southern space of the property that had been left free by the demolition of the fort.
The Post Office Palace, delayed,[3] was completed in 1878 and was inaugurated by President Nicolás Avellaneda in 1879. The new building significantly overshadowed the seat of government, so President Julio Argentino Roca requested a widening and repair project in 1882. The project was designed by the Department of Engineers headed by the Swede Enrique Aberg (author of other notable works in Argentina), and involved the construction of a new façade for the Government House, giving it a similar appearance to the post office building, changing the second floor windows for a gallery-balcony.
In 1884 the restrictions of available space in the building were already evident, and it was planned to unify the buildings designed by Aberg and Kihlberg and allocate them exclusively to the government function. Thus, the task was entrusted to the Italian architect Francesco Tamburini. This projected the union of the twin buildings through a large monumental arch, which today constitutes the access on Balcarce Street and whose construction began in 1886, followed by the extension of the building on Rivadavia Street, completed around 1890. This marked the end of what remained of the old Fort, preserving some walls and one of the embrasures, which can be seen in the current Bicentennial Museum. The expansion of the palace continued towards the current Yrigoyen street, completed around 1896, and finally the east façade facing Puerto Madero, with which the building was officially inaugurated during Roca's second presidency, in 1898.
In 1910, the French architect Norbert Maillart built the winter garden on the east side, through a gallery with paired columns on the ground floor, which supported the garden located on the first floor. It had a glass roof supported by iron columns and indoor plants, three chandeliers with lampshades, a small table with rattan rocking chairs and rugs. This garden was part of the renovations carried out by President Roque Saénz Peña, who, due to an illness that prevented him from moving, became the only president to use the Casa Rosada as a permanent home. In 1927 the windows of this garden on Paseo Colón were closed and the building was expanded by adding two office blocks on the facade of Parque Colón.[5].
In 1937, at the initiative of President Agustín P. Justo, and following the general opinion of the intellectuals of his time, it was decided that the building would be completely demolished to create a perspective from the Plaza de Mayo towards the river, and extend Mayo Avenue to Puerto Madero.[6] At the beginning of 1938,[7] the demolition of the rooms on the roof and the section of the old Post Office and Telecommunications building that overlooked Victoria Street began. (today Hipólito Yrigoyen), thus reducing the south side by 17 meters. But in February of that year, Roberto Marcelino Ortiz assumed the presidency, who in April decided to suspend the demolition works and ordered the reconstruction of the façade on Victoria Street (now Yrigoyen). In addition, it was necessary to relocate an access entrance to the Plaza de Mayo station "Plaza de Mayo (subway)") of line A "Line A (Buenos Aires Subway)") of the subway, which was located on the layout of the expansion of the narrow street. Although it is not evident to the naked eye, this remodeling affected the symmetry of the façade, by moving the central arch to the south and meant the loss of an important part of the building built in 1878.
On May 21, 1942, it was declared a National Historical Monument by decree No. 120412/42.[8].
In 1955, the military opposed to the presidency of Juan Domingo Perón bombed the government headquarters and caused great damage.[5] The frigate captain Néstor Noriega unloaded the first bomb on the building, which completely destroyed the aforementioned winter garden. Over time it was replaced by more offices.
In 1942, when carrying out excavations related to sanitary works on Paseo Colón and Yrigoyen, a section of the underground basements of what had been the New Customs was located. It was decided to integrate them with the old remains of the old fort to form a History Museum (the Casa Rosada Museum), inaugurated in 1957, where objects of presidential interest and selected belongings are exhibited, such as belts, canes, books, furniture and three carriages.[5].
The remains of the old fortress were partially excavated in 1991, and the discovered structures were incorporated into the Casa Rosada Museum. Located behind the building, these works led to the detours of Avenida Paseo Colón, and the unification of the Casa Rosada with Parque Colón behind it. The following year, general painting works were carried out on the exteriors.
Also during this period, it was used as a location and filming set for the film Evita "Evita (film)") in 1996. Madonna "Madonna (singer)") and Antonio Banderas personally went to ask the then president Carlos Saúl Menem for permission to perform the scene in which the song Don't cry for me, Argentina&action=edit&redlink=1 "Don't cry for me, Argentina (Madonna version) (not yet written)") is performed from the balcony of the Casa Rosada, permission that was finally granted. In 1998, the same president commissioned a group of specialists to restore the main façade, expressly seeking a new shade of pink that was more similar to the original made with lime and animal blood, since since 1989 the building had worn a very weak pale tone, due to an error when choosing the paint. moldings and details. Finally, modifications were made to the interior rooms, and a restoration of the White Room.[10] The main façade was covered with an immense fabric that showed a life-size photo of the building, showing the color that it would look like after the restoration using the new shade of pink, but when it was discovered that December 10, with the inauguration of Fernando de la Rúa, criticism arose from several specialists who considered that the tone was too intense, and to make matters worse, it contrasted with the pale tone of the other three facades that had not been painted again.[11][12] But after Menem left power, the works were paralyzed and the 2001 crisis put a brake on them for three years.[13].
Only under the mandate of Néstor Kirchner were the works resumed. In 2006 the ambitious work began,[14] with the repainting of the three facades that had been left unrestored, and the recovery of the moldings that had been damaged by the vegetation that had grown on the plaster;[15] in addition, the façade that faces Plaza de Mayo was repainted, so that it looked in tune with the other three.[16] But it went further, demolishing ceilings, technical mezzanines and walls. provisional structures that had been placed in recent decades to generate more work space, moving offices to other buildings.[17] In addition, the heliport through which de la Rúa had left the building and his mandate in December 2001 was disabled and new service installations that had been laid in a precarious manner were made. Parque Colón was fenced and transformed de facto into a private garden of the Casa Rosada, causing controversy because it was a public square.[18][19].
The works were continued by President Cristina Fernández, who in addition to continuing with the restoration of the rooms, the mosaic floors from which pieces were missing, or the mural paintings that had been covered with smooth paint at some point in the century, inaugurated a series of thematic rooms from various areas of Argentine culture and history, moving the offices of the Presidency of the Nation from those rooms.[20].
For the 2010 bicentennial celebrations of the May Revolution, some modifications were made and the Bicentennial Museum was opened in the restored area of what was the Taylor Customs yard.
When in 1890 the architect Tamburini joined the government house with the post office building, it had been planned to place a clock in front of the central arch, but because it was too expensive, it was not placed and space was left for its future placement. Only as the celebrations of the bicentennial of the May revolution approached, Guillermo del Valle, owner of the monumental clock company “Gnomon”, who was carrying out the tasks of recycling the clock of the church of San Ignacio in Buenos Aires, noticed the shortage and decided to donate a clock to complete its design. Once permission was obtained from the management of the National Commission of Monuments and Historic Places and the approval of the president at that time, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, it was installed and inaugurated on October 18, 2010.[21][22].
Lounges
White Living Room
The White Room has a floor made of Slavonian oak, which was initially brought from Belgium in 1903 and was restored for the celebrations of the Bicentennial of the Homeland, since there and in the adjoining North and South rooms the gala dinner was held with the presence of international leaders.
The original project and construction of this room is the work of architect Francesco Tamburini. Its perimeter columns with composite order capitals (Ionic-Corinthian) present reliefs with grotesque motifs in the form of vases, chimeric birds, acanthus leaves and the Argentine National Shield.
From the center of the room hangs a chandelier "Araña (lamp)") made of bronze on gold, made in France and assembled in Buenos Aires for placement by the Azaretto Hnos house. Its weight is 1,250 kilos and it carries 192 lamps. The lighting is completed by numerous sconces installed throughout the room.
On the ceiling of the room you can see a painting on canvas, the work of the Italian artist Luigi De Servi, made in 1910 in tribute to the Centennial of the May Revolution. This painting is an allegory that commemorates two key moments in the history of Argentina: The Revolution of May 1810 and July 9, 1816, the day of the Declaration of Argentine Independence.
The center of the room has an important ornamental front in the shape of a fireplace, on which is located the sculpture that represents the bust of the Homeland, the work of the Italian artist Ettore Ximenes made of Carrara marble. Above the bust stands the National Shield made of bronze and placed on a marble plaque of different shades. This set is crowned by two angels made of patinated wood holding trumpets of glory. This ornamentation was purchased from the House of Forest in Paris in 1910.
In the right corner is the bust of General San Martín, made by the Filipino artist Félix Pardo de Tavera. The bust of General Manuel Belgrano, located in the left corner since 1993, was made by the Argentine sculptor Juan Carlos Ferraro.
Blue Room
Located in the basement of the Casa Rosada, this room exhibits works by different national artists in homage to various styles and pictorial trends.
The selection of paintings in the Azul room emphasizes Argentine landscapes that, portrayed through local painters, allow the representation of a wide range of regions and provinces.
The collection is displayed by eras and schools. The rooms are architecturally similar, linked by the blue tone of the walls, there are golden ornaments, imposing chandeliers and a carved gilded wooden table with a marble top (C. 1900) in the French neo-baroque Louis XIV style.
Press Room
On September 16, 2009, the Bicentennial Thinkers and Writers Hall was inaugurated, the site where the Arts Hall was previously located. The space invited us to honor the great exponents of national culture. Portraits of Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz, Arturo Jauretche, Jorge Luis Borges, Alejandra Pizarnik, María Elena Walsh, Rodolfo Walsh, Enrique Santos Discépolo, Julio Cortázar, Mariano Moreno, Juan Bautista Alberdi, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Leopoldo Marechal, Haroldo Conti, among others, represented a tribute to the men and women who are part of the historical, cultural and political heritage of Argentines. This room was equipped with everything necessary to carry out journalistic coverage of official government events.
As of December 2023, the room was renamed "Press Room" and began to host press conferences in their entirety, generally being used for conferences given by the presidential spokesperson.[23].
Eva Perón Room
This room, located where the vice president's office once functioned, covers the most significant moments of Eva Duarte's public and private life. It shows scenes, documents, works of art and photographs of a woman who marked Argentine history. It was used by Eva as one of her offices when she presided over the Eva Perón Foundation.
Structurally, it is made up of two parts: the dining room and the living room. The dining room has a large oak table and 28 chairs, an ornamental fireplace front made of carved and molded cedar wood with neo-Renaissance motifs (C. 1890), two imposing identical mirrors and two twin gilt bronze chandeliers with crystal lampshades (C. 1900) that complete the decoration.
The ceiling is decorated with moldings of different reliefs, formats and tones, fresco paintings with allegories on a light blue background and golden stars and Shields of the Argentine Provinces. c. 1890.
Hall of Argentine Scientists
The Hall of Argentine Scientists was inaugurated on September 1, 2009 and occupies the place where the Ceremonial and Protocol offices previously functioned.
Portraits of the three Argentine Nobel Prize winners in science, Bernardo Houssay, César Milstein and Luis Leloir, are exhibited there; of the former Minister of Health Ramón Carrillo and Salvador Mazza, Florentino Ameghino and René Favaloro.
South Hall
This room communicates on one side with the Stained Glass Gallery and on the other with the White Room. Being adjacent to the White Room, it has sometimes fulfilled the functions of an “appendix”, as a passage sector or it is used as an extension of it.
Its architectural and aesthetic appearance is preserved almost intact. It is more austere than the Blanco, but has elaborate moldings on the ceiling and walls and important ornamental plasterwork. Its columns have rich reliefs decorated with simpler but equally striking motifs.
A bronze chandelier with glass leaves hangs from the ceiling and sconces placed on the wall complete the lighting.
North Room
To enter this area you must go through the White Room. For a long time it was used for Cabinet meetings and that is why it is known as the Hall of Agreements. Given its main function, the furniture is the most impressive thing in the place; a Victorian-style mahogany Agreement Table made in 1949.
You can also see, throughout the living room, the old radiators that helped to heat the environment.
Historically, busts of presidents decorated this room. They were later moved to the Hall of Honor, where they are today. Today, the North Room is used for business meetings.
Heroes of Malvinas Hall
This space was inaugurated on April 14, 2014 under the name "Hall of the Native Peoples" and replaced the previously called Colón Hall. It is located on the ground floor of the Government Palace, facing the Río de la Plata, and has a view of Plaza Colón.
Continuing with the enhancement of the Government House, the ceiling was restored, as well as the parquet floor.
The spacious living room displays its wax-colored walls, which symbolize the earth. Previously, graphic panels had been arranged in them that, in the form of a timeline, detailed the history of the different tribes and peoples. It had burgundy-colored carpets that showed indigenous motifs, as did the armchairs. In the center of the place you could see a table in the shape of the chakana cross ("cross of the four stairs" in Quechua and "cross of the four bridges" in Aymara), which constitutes the synthesis of the Andean worldview. A modern interactive system had been set up on this table through which, through touch screens and headphones, visitors could access complete audiovisual material about the aborigines. In the center of it, a Wiphala was displayed, the quadrangular flag of seven colors with which the native peoples identify themselves. A painting with a photograph of Rufino Ibáñez, last chief of the Camusu Aike reserve, and another of a group of Tehuelche women and girls posing in front of a "kaú" (tent made with guanaco skins) stood out in the room, among a large number of images that portrayed members of the communities. A large number of archaeological pieces on loan from the Juan Bautista Ambrosetti Ethnographic Museum were also exhibited.
On April 2, 2024, on the anniversary of the start of the Malvinas conflict, by order of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, it was renamed "Salón Héroes de Malvinas". Currently, the room displays photos of combatants during the war, as well as display cases with objects that belonged to soldiers and generals.
Martín Fierro Room
In October 2010, this room was inaugurated in tribute to Martín Fierro, the famous character of the gaucho poem created by José Hernández.
On one of its walls is the mural “Martín Fierro” made in acrylic on fabric by the artist Ricardo Carpani (1990). The work of José Hernández is displayed in seven panels in which the climactic scenes of the poem are reflected.
In this room you can see, in addition to Carpani's work, a portrait of the writer José Hernández, a mate made in silver by the goldsmith Juan Carlos Pallarols and a vicuña wool blanket woven and embroidered with the National Coat of Arms, made for the Centennial Exhibition of 1910.
Hall of Heroes
It was inaugurated on March 6, 2009 by former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner under the name "Salón de las Mujeres". It was used to deliver presidential messages.
It was closed by Mauricio Macri in 2016 and refunctionalized as an office by President Alberto Fernández in 2020.
On March 8, 2024, the executive branch renamed it "'Salón de los Próceres".[24] In it you can see gigantographs of prominent Argentine heroes, politicians and intellectuals such as General Don José de San Martín and General Manuel Belgrano, of the lawyer and promoter of liberalism in Argentina Juan Bautista Alberdi, of the writer and intellectual Esteban Echeverría and of the former presidents Julio Argentino Roca and Carlos Menem
among others.
Galleries
Hall of Honor
The main entrance to the Casa Rosada is the one that points towards the north side, along Rivadavia Street, where the esplanade where the President of the Nation and possibly some special guests usually arrive is located.
This entrance gives access to an important lobby, known as "Hall of Honor" or "Gallery of Presidential Busts", where there are two art deco style reliefs made by José Fioravanti that symbolize "The Exaltation of the Young Homeland" and "The Heroic Sentiment of the Race", located on the side walls of the enclosure.
A group of glass doors located on the wall opposite the main entrance give access to the "Patio of the Palm Trees".
Surrounding the Hall of Honor is the "Bust Gallery", where all the deceased Argentine presidents are portrayed in Carrara marble.
The first busts exhibited in that room were made between 1883 and 1884, commissioned by President Julio Argentino Roca. The tradition of adding the bust of the first leaders after their term of office ends dates back to that time.
These busts were initially located in the Presidential Precincts on the first floor, but in 1973, during the presidency of Alejandro Agustín Lanusse, it was decided to move them to the Hall of Honor and Decree 4022 was issued, which governs the placement of the Presidential Busts, indicating that this will be done once a period of no less than two presidential terms has elapsed, after the end of the corresponding mandate.
The original decoration of the walls and ceilings of the Hall of Honor were made towards the end of the century with filleted motifs, and with a clearly Italianate trace. That decoration was hidden under a layer of light paint in a work that was done around 1913. In 1980 that painting was removed from the ceilings and from that time on the imposing backgrounds could be seen again.
At the ends of the hall, two impressive staircases, also made of marble, give access to the first floor of the building, where the White Room stands out.
Gallery of Latin American Patriots of the Bicentennial
The Gallery of Latin American Patriots of the Bicentennial was inaugurated on May 25, 2010 on the occasion of the celebrations for the 200 years of the Homeland.
The room is located in the center of the Casa Rosada and displays portraits of heroes and personalities of the continent that were contributed by countries in the region.
On May 4, 2015, five years after the election of former president Néstor Kirchner as first secretary general of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), a painting of Kirchner himself and one of former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez Frías were incorporated.
The paintings in the gallery were removed from the Casa Rosada in February 2016 and transferred to the Bicentennial Museum.[25].
Stairs
France Stairs
This staircase is used as the main access to the Reception Halls and Presidential Rooms, located on the first floor of the Presidential Palace.
It has on its landing an important tapestry woven in the Gobelins Manufacture, Paris - France, according to a cartoon by the painter Alfredo Roll") from 1911, which represents General José de San Martín riding a white steed, wearing a military uniform and guided by two winged glories. The side guard reproduces specimens of Argentine fauna and flora, and at the bottom there is a dedication that indicates that it is an official gift from the French Republic to Argentina.
The walls and ceilings of the enclosure preserve the original paintings, in this case the ornamental motif is "trompe l'oeil" moldings, with Renaissance motifs. The bronze lighting fixtures are French and were installed at the end of the century when electric lighting was installed in the House, which replaced gas lighting.
Italy Stairs
On its landing you can see a marble and bronze plaque that the Kingdom of Italy gave to Roque Sáenz Peña during his diplomatic mission in Europe as a gift for the first Centennial; That plaque symbolizes the brotherhood between the two countries.
The ceilings display the original filleting paint. In the pallier, on the Victorian table, in the center, there is a reduced replica of one of the two horses that in the century adorned the entrance to the castle of Marly Le Roi, property of Louis XIV and which are currently in the new wing of the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Courtyards
Patio of the Palm Trees
The four yatay palm trees, placed in 1904, give their name to the famous patio around which the rooms of the north wing of the Casa Rosada are located.
The Patio de las Palmeras is the lung of the House. In its center, there is an artistic iron fountain of French origin surrounded by flower beds with a perimeter guard in the form of a festoon of white Carrara marble with a gray vein.
It has perimeter galleries on the ground floor and first floor. Decorative paintings were made on the walls and ceilings of both.
A restoration of its original floor was also carried out, with tiles that were imported from Italy.
In addition, allegorical murals were discovered in the triangles lateral to the columns of the arches that make up the patio, the shape of which at that time could not be appreciated. These are part of the popular grotesque neorealist imagination of the late 20th century and early 20th century. It is presumed that these murals were made in preparation for the celebration of the Centennial of the May Revolution.
Cistern Courtyard
The Patio del Aljibe is one of the most picturesque, and least known, spaces of the Casa Rosada. Located in the south wing of the Government Palace, this patio has in its center a cistern that has been recycled in 2011. On its sides, enormous vases shaped like cups and a bench that has the national coat of arms complete the decoration.
Patio Malvinas Argentinas
Located on the ground floor of the government palace, the Malvinas Argentinas patio was inaugurated on May 2, 2012, the day that marked the 30th anniversary of the sinking, by the enemy, of the ARA General Belgrano Cruise, which caused the death of 323 sailors during the South Atlantic conflict.
The space has a fountain whose waters show a light blue and white color, two large flower pots topped with cups with flowers and a metal installation that illustrates the outline of the Malvinas Islands.
Exteriors
West Facade
It is consolidated on the union of the Post Office and Telegraph Palace, inaugurated in 1876 by Nicolás Avellaneda, and the Government House that President Julio Argentino Roca ordered to be built in 1882 on what was the former residence of the viceroys (currently, the space of that residence is occupied by the Patio de las Palmeras). That work began in 1884 and was led by the Italian architect Francesco Tamburini.
As there was a small difference in height between the original buildings, Tamburini concealed it with the construction of the arch that joined them. Despite this, a small asymmetry can be observed in the place where the moldings of the two components join the central arch.
As the house is located on a ravine, this façade has three floors, while the one that faces the opposite side and points towards the Río de la Plata has four.
Tamburini's project included the placement of shields of the Argentine Confederation at the ends of the domes that the House displays. These were replaced by monumental ciboriums in the second half of the century. Only one of these shields remains today and is located at the west end of the north façade.
Above the arch that serves as the entrance to 50 Balcarce Street you can see a large clock that was inaugurated within the framework of the celebrations of the Bicentennial of the May Revolution. This clock was projected in the original plans presented by Tamburini, but it had never been installed.
On the other hand, starting in 2003, the section that occupies Balcarce Street was made pedestrian, the esplanade gained meters towards the fence, a ramp for people with reduced mobility was built and two water fountains and six flower pots were installed to beautify the entrance to the building through that sector.
Plaza Colon
The Plaza Colón "Parque Colón (Buenos Aires)"), which is located in front of the east façade, was extensively remodeled and its reopening took place on December 6, 2007.
The sidewalks were replaced and a fence was installed that borders the entire perimeter of the Casa and Parque Colón, so the space was annexed to the Government Palace as a rear garden.
Two medium-sized fountains enrich the landscape, while another larger one shines next to the national flag mast and, at night, its jets draw the blue and white colors of Argentina in the air through a play of lighting.
In addition, an impluvium (nursery) was built in which the plants that adorn the Government House are maintained.
A monument was also located there to the victims of the bombing with which the Armed Forces attacked the Casa Rosada in 1955, when Juan Domingo Perón governed the Nation.
Points of interest
presidential office
It was once the presidential dining room and began to be used as an office in 1946. When the president is in the House, two grenadiers guard the entrance.
presidential elevator
In the anteroom that leads to these rooms is the presidential elevator. This elevator, according to the tradition maintained in the House, was the gift that the Infanta Isabel de Borbón y Borbón gave to the Government Palace when she visited the country in 1910. It is made of carved inlaid oak and displays the national coat of arms on each of the glass mirrors.
Balcarce 50
The large entrance arch and the covered patios found in the axis of Balcarce 50 support the assembly of building structures made in different years, responding to projects by different architects.
Until the end of the century there was an internal passage that led to the New Customs.
Architecture
Contenido
La Casa Rosada es una pieza ecléctica, que combina elementos de diversos orígenes, como las mansardas de origen francés, las logias "Logia (arquitectura)") italianas y las ventanas de los proyectos de los arquitectos Aberg y Kihlberg, con la expresión clasicista típica de Tamburini.
El conjunto se desarrolla en tres plantas sobre el oeste (calle Balcarce) y cuatro niveles más subsuelo sobre el este, gracias a la pendiente del terreno desde la Plaza de Mayo hacia el Parque Colón "Parque Colón (Buenos Aires)"), originada por el Río de la Plata, que naturalmente, hasta aproximadamente 1890, llegaba con sus barrancas hasta este lugar, y se fue alejando hacia el este mediante sucesivos rellenos para ganar tierras.
La fachada principal presenta un eje de simetría marcado sobre el arco monumental diseñado por Tamburini, pero la simetría está desvirtuada por la demolición del ala sur en 1938. Además, la famosa loggia en el primer piso del ala norte se diferencia claramente de las ventanas apareadas de estilo florentino del ala sur. Hay una combinación ecléctica de ornamentos, pero predomina la influencia del Renacimiento italiano, a pesar de la mansarda que originalmente estaba revestida en pizarra "Pizarra (roca)"), y fue cambiada por una cubierta de bronce en la década de 1960. Varios ornamentos y molduras desaparecieron a lo largo de los últimos cien años, particularmente la crestería de hierro que adornaba la mansarda, y unas molduras con el Escudo Nacional, que fueron reemplazadas por copones, en la cornisa.
La fachada norte, diseñada completamente por el arquitecto Tamburini, se destaca por la entrada de carruajes que sobresale del volumen macizo del edificio, destacándose con una galería para la circulación de vehículos y una escalinata que salva el desnivel de la calle que marca una plataforma que originalmente estaba destacada con dos estatuas de bronce de ángeles tocando trompetas de la victoria, luego removidas. En esta fachada se hace notable la difícil unión del edificio original diseñado por el ingeniero Aberg con la ampliación realizada por Tamburini, ya que el primero está rematado por la mencionada mansarda de bronce, y el segundo tiene una losa plana. Una de las ventanas del edificio de Aberg fue directamente seccionada a la mitad por la ampliación, y es un detalle de la desprolijidad con la cual fue ejecutada la obra.
La fachada este, que mira a Puerto Madero y al río, está precedida por el Parque Colón —aunque originalmente la separaba del mismo la avenida paseo Colón")— que permite jerarquizar el edificio y genera un acceso que recientemente fue enrejado para transformarse de facto en los jardines del palacio presidencial. Esta fachada también pertenece al diseño de Tamburini, aunque originalmente tenía dos retiros simétricos que posteriormente fueron eliminados, construyendo ampliaciones que dejaron una fachada lisa. La cornisa del edificio está adornada con un conjunto escultórico.
La fachada sur es la más pobre del edificio, ya que la original diseñada por Tamburini fue demolida en la década de 1930, y luego de ello no fue reconstruida, sino que apenas se ejecutó un muro sin ornamentar que contrasta por su falta de molduras con el resto del edificio. Además, la presencia del Palacio de Hacienda, enfrentado directamente con la Casa Rosada, impide la jerarquización del edificio que se da en los otros frentes, debido a la poca distancia que se puede tomar de la fachada.
Subsoil
There are the Hall of Argentine Painters and Paintings and the Carpani Stairs, which leads to the upper level. On the Yrigoyen street side. This level is accessed directly from Parque Colón, through a set of three wooden doors, currently closed.
Ground floor
The access esplanade on Rivadavia Avenue leads to the Hall of Busts, where the sculptures of the Argentine presidents are located and is the Hall of Honor, which is used for illustrious visits. It has a checkerboard tiled floor, and coffered ceilings painted with various images, discovered in 1980 after having been covered by plain paint for seventy years. The decision to place the presidential busts in this place was made by the dictator Alejandro Lanusse in 1973. This space is succeeded by the famous Patio de las Palmeras, with loggias that surround it on all floors.
From Balcarce Street you can access the main hall of the building, a large space with corridors that open out from the upper levels and large skylights on the roof that allow natural lighting, where the open passage that separated the two independent buildings was originally located, and today the Gallery of Latin American Patriots operates.
From the Yrigoyen street side, there is the small Patio Malvinas Argentinas, original of the building designed by Kihlberg in 1873, in which the staircase of the old Post Office building stands out, which stands out as a hierarchical volume on one of the facades, and there is a bronze vase that functions as a fountain, throwing white and light blue waters. Only the wall added improvisedly in 1938 separates it from Yrigoyen Street, after the demolition of the entire south wing. There is also the Patio del Aljibe, another recently reopened space, where a white marble cistern stars in the patio, adorned on its perimeter by ciboriums that function as flower pots. Originally, it was topped by a skylight that was removed during demolition in the 1930s.
First floor
From this room, two large staircases of honor (called Italia and France) lead to the first floor of the north wing, where the White Room is located, which serves as the headquarters for the great official receptions. The most important acts of government are carried out there, the most relevant being the reception by each President of his command attributes: the presidential sash and the presidential cane "Presidential Cane (Argentina)").
The ceremonies of the Oath of Ministers and Secretaries of State are also carried out; the presentations of Credential Letters of foreign Ambassadors, accredited in Argentina; receptions of special guests; the signing of international treaties; the speeches and messages of greatest importance, directed by the President of the Nation and occasionally, in the event of the death of personalities of national relevance, as a wake room.
and the presidential offices, including the South Room (old room for protocol ceremonies) and the North Room (old office for cabinet meetings). This north wing is structured around the Patio de las Palmeras.
Also located on this level are the Argentine Women Hall, the Eva Perón Hall, the Argentine Scientists Hall and the Popular Idols Gallery, thematic spaces inaugurated during the presidency of Cristina Fernández in former offices of the Presidency staff, whose employees were transferred to other offices.
The corridors surrounding the Patio de las Palmeras stand out, which have painted glass that filters natural light and isolates the corridors from the outside, although they occasionally open, and the floors decorated with Italian-style mosaics, restored during the presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
The Casa Rosada Presidential Museum is located in this basement and adjacent galleries. All the original external premises have direct lighting, while in the internal ones lighting and ventilation are provided through access to galleries "Gallery (room)") organized around patios. The original structure is made of masonry walls of various thicknesses, with slabs simply supported by brick vaults with iron or wood profiles.
Pink House Museum
This museum is closed indefinitely. Several of its objects are in the current Bicentennial Museum. It was created on May 27, 1957 and its collection is made up of personal objects, portraits, documents and sculptures of those who have held the position of President of the Nation, no less than thirty years having elapsed since the conclusion of their mandates.
The collection has objects typical of the presidential investiture, such as the "Bastón presidential (Argentina)" canes and the presidential bands of several presidents, where the presidential band used by President Julio Argentino Roca in his second term stands out.
It also has carriages used by different presidents: you can see the Cabriolet Mylord, used by José Evaristo Uriburu, a Landau or landau "Landó (carriage)") belonging to Julio Argentino Roca and the Americana, owned by Hipólito Yrigoyen.
Among the furniture, the presidential chair used during the mandate of Santiago Derqui stands out, although important objects can also be seen such as a rocking chair and a desk belonging to Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and part of the original furniture of the building.
The museum has personal objects that belonged to the presidents, including a bowler hat "Bombín (hat)") and a cane belonging to Hipólito Yrigoyen, a Chinese porcelain fountain that belonged to Bernardino Rivadavia and a travel toiletry bag used by Julio Argentino Roca.
• - The Messidor.
• - Quinta de Olivos.
• - Tourism in the City of Buenos Aires.
• - President of the Argentine Nation.
• - Fort of Buenos Aires.
• - Congress of the Argentine Nation.
• - Supreme Court of the Argentine Nation.
• - Moncloa Palace.
• - Portal:Argentina. Content related to Argentina.
• - Portal:Buenos Aires. Content related to Buenos Aires.
• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Casa Rosada.
• - Pink House. Government Palace.
• - Casa Rosada Museum.
• - History, photos and historical images of the Casa Rosada.
• - The architectural evolution of the Casa Rosada.
• - Origin of the Fort of Buenos Aires.
• - Walks through Montserrat Extensive photographic tour of the Casa Rosada.
• - Diagnosis of La Rosada About the restoration work. Supplement "M2", Newspaper "Página/12", 08/23/2002.
• - The house is not in order About the modifications made to the building in its history. Clarín Newspaper, April 1, 2007.
• - Night View of the Casa Rosada - 360° Panorama.
• - Curiosities of the Casa Rosada.
References
[1] ↑ Franco, Liliana. Los secretos de la Casa Rosada. Buenos Aires. p. 19. ISBN 978-950-07-6011-9. |fechaacceso= requiere |url= (ayuda).
[5] ↑ a b c d Gutiérrez, Ramón; Berjman, Sonia (1995). La Plaza de Mayo, escenario de la vida argentina. Colección cuadernos del Águila, Fundación Banco de Boston.
[6] ↑ Luna, Félix (1978). Ortiz. Reportaje a la Argentina Opulenta. Sudamericana. p. 80.