The
ObeliskAn obelisk is a tall, narrow, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top...
of Buenos Aires is a modern
monumentThere are many landmarks in Buenos Aires, Argentina some of which have considerable historical or artistic interest.-Monumento de los Españoles :...
placed at the heart of
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital, and largest city, of Argentina, currently the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the eastern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
,
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
.
PorteñosPorteño in Spanish is used to refer to a person who is from or lives in a port city, but it can also be used as an adjective for anything related to those port cities...
refer to it simply as
El Obelisco.
The obelisk was built in May 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city. It is located in the center of the
Plaza de la RepúblicaPlaza de la República is a vast city square in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina. It is located in the San Nicolás quarter, at the intersection of the city's three main arteries : Ninth of July Avenue, Corrientes Avenue, and Avenida Presidente Roque Sáenz Peña...
(Republic Square), the spot where the
Argentine flagThe national flag of Argentina dates from 1812. It is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. In 1818, a yellow Sun of May was added to the center....
was flown for the first time in Buenos Aires, at the intersection of
Nueve de JulioAvenida 9 de Julio is an avenue in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its name honors Argentina's Independence Day. .The avenue runs roughly one kilometer to the west of the Río de la Plata waterfront, from the Retiro district in the north to Constitución station in the south...
and Corrientes avenues.
The
ObeliskAn obelisk is a tall, narrow, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top...
of Buenos Aires is a modern
monumentThere are many landmarks in Buenos Aires, Argentina some of which have considerable historical or artistic interest.-Monumento de los Españoles :...
placed at the heart of
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital, and largest city, of Argentina, currently the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the eastern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
,
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
.
PorteñosPorteño in Spanish is used to refer to a person who is from or lives in a port city, but it can also be used as an adjective for anything related to those port cities...
refer to it simply as
El Obelisco.
The obelisk was built in May 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city. It is located in the center of the
Plaza de la RepúblicaPlaza de la República is a vast city square in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina. It is located in the San Nicolás quarter, at the intersection of the city's three main arteries : Ninth of July Avenue, Corrientes Avenue, and Avenida Presidente Roque Sáenz Peña...
(Republic Square), the spot where the
Argentine flagThe national flag of Argentina dates from 1812. It is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. In 1818, a yellow Sun of May was added to the center....
was flown for the first time in Buenos Aires, at the intersection of
Nueve de JulioAvenida 9 de Julio is an avenue in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its name honors Argentina's Independence Day. .The avenue runs roughly one kilometer to the west of the Río de la Plata waterfront, from the Retiro district in the north to Constitución station in the south...
and Corrientes avenues. Its total height is 67 meters (220 ft) and its base area is 49 square meters (530 square feet). It was designed by architect
Alberto PrebischAlberto Prebisch was a distinguished Argentine architect whose numerous works included private houses, apartment and office blocks, cinemas, shops and banks...
, and its construction took barely four weeks.
The obelisk is one of the main icons of the city, and a venue for various cultural activities (usually sponsored by the city government) and other events. It is the traditional gathering spot for sports fans to celebrate when their favourite team wins, especially from the national football team, often resulting in colorful events that attract media coverage. It was also used by several acrobatic troupes to perform high-wire acts.
Throughout its history, the obelisk has suffered vandalism, especially politically-oriented
graffitiGraffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
. In the 1980s, an activist group broke in and spilled paint from the top windows, causing the city government to erect a fence around its base. This move stirred controversy, but eventually proved effective in reducing the number of defacing incidents.
For some time during the 1970s, during the
PeronistPeronism , or Justicialism , is an Argentine political movement based on the ideas and programs associated with former President Juan Perón and his second wife, Eva Perón, referred to as Spiritual Leader of the Nation of Argentina...
government of
Isabel Martínez de PerónMaría Estela Martínez Cartas de Perón , better known as Isabel Martínez de Perón or Isabel Perón, is a former President of Argentina. She was also the third wife of another former President, Juan Perón...
, a ring-shaped sign was hung around the obelisk, with the motto
El silencio es salud (Silence is health). Although it was allegedly geared against motorists creating excessive
noiseIn common use, the word noise means unwanted sound or noise pollution. In both analog and digital electronics, noise or signal noise is an unwanted random addition to a wanted signal; it is called noise as a generalisation of the audible noise heard when listening to a weak radio transmission...
, it was widely interpreted as a statement calling Argentines to refrain from expressing their political views.
On 1 November 2005 it was announced that a comprehensive restoration, financed by the Argentine painting and restoration industry association (Ceprara), was finished. The monument was painted with 90-micrometre acrylic paint to a "Paris stone" hue, deemed more pleasant than the previously used white.
On December 1, 2005, the obelisk was covered by a giant pink "condom" to commemorate the
World AIDS dayWorld AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day. Government and health officials also observe the event, often with...
.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the
La Noche de los LápicesThe Night of the Pencils was a series of kidnappings and forced disappearances, followed by the torture, rape, and murder of a number of young students during the last Argentine dictatorship...
, the monument was converted into a giant pencil.
Lines
BSubte Line BLine B of the Buenos Aires Metro runs from Leandro N. Alem to Los Incas .Opened on 17 October 1930, 8.94 km.-Stations:* Leandro N...
,
CSubte Line CThe Line C of the Buenos Aires Metro that runs from Retiro to Constitución terminus, opened on 9 November 1934, 4.4 km.-Stations and connections:* Retiro Station* General San Martín* Lavalle* Diagonal Norte Line B Line D...
, and
DSubte Line DSubte Line D of the Buenos Aires Metro runs from Catedral to Congreso de Tucumán. The D Line opened on 3 June 1937 and has been expanded to the north several times...
of the
Buenos Aires MetroThe Buenos Aires Metro is a mass-transit system that serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first station of this network was inaugurated in 1913, being the first of its kind in Latin America and in the entire Southern Hemisphere...
have stations near the obelisk, and are connected by a number of underground passages with commercial galleries.
External links
Article on restoration