Palermo, Buenos Aires
Encyclopedia
Palermo is a neighborhood, or barrio
of the Argentine
capital, Buenos Aires
. It is located in the northeast of the city, bordering the barrios of Belgrano
to the north, Almagro
and Recoleta
to the south, Villa Crespo
and Colegiales
to the west and the Río de la Plata
river to the east. With a total area of 17.4 km² (7 sq mi), Palermo is the largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires. As of 1991 it had a population of 256,927 inhabitants . It is the only barrio within the administrative division of Comuna 14.
abbey
of "Saint Benedict of Palermo", an alternative name for Saint Benedict the Moor. Saint Benedict the Moor lived from 1526 to 1589 and is a complementary patron saint of Palermo
, the capital city of Sicily
.
In an alternative history of the name, a folk story supported by journalists, the land would have been originally purchased by an Italian
immigrant named "Juan Domingo Palermo" in the late 16th century, shortly after the foundation of Buenos Aires in 1580. Juan Manuel de Rosas
built a country residence there which was confiscated after his fall in 1852.
The area grew rapidly during the last third of the 19th century and particularly during the presidency of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
, responsible for the creation of the Buenos Aires Zoological Gardens and the "Parque Tres de Febrero
" in 1874, and "Plaza Italia" and the Palermo Race Track
in 1876, all on the grounds of what had been Rosas' pleasure villa.
During the 20th century, the Buenos Aires Botanical Gardens (1902), "Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
", the water purification building, several sport clubs, the Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens
and the Galileo Galilei planetarium
were developed.
Although appearing as one big swath on the official map, Palermo can be subdivided into several contrasting and acutely individual parts, the most clearly delimited of which may be considered further de facto neighborhoods of Buenos Aires.
. At its core is the Alto Palermo Shopping Centre, a large shopping mall at the eastern-most edge of Palermo, bordering Recoleta
. Villa Freud, based around Plaza Güemes, is a residential area known for its high concentration of psychoanalysts and psychiatrists, hence its name.
south to Córdoba Avenue
, and from Avenida Dorrego east to Coronel Díaz Street
. The neighborhood is centred on Plaza Palermo Viejo and reflects an older Spanish style in architecture, often "recycled" with modern elements.
Such well-known figures as Jorge Luis Borges
and Che Guevara
once lived in this ward and indeed Borges first wrote poetry in the then quiet barrio. Borges's poem "Fundacion mitica de Buenos Aires" names a typical square (bordered by streets Guatemala, Serrano, Paraguay, Gurruchaga) adjacent to his childhood home, a popular tourist landmark. It was historically a residential area, popular with communities from Poland
, Armenia
, Ukraine
and Lebanon
and old Spanish and Italian families, whose traditions are reflected in local restaurants, churches, schools and cultural centres.
feel. The square has a crafts fair.
Presently, it's best known for the concentration of restaurants, clubs -as Club Atlético Palermo, the oldest one-, cafés and an active nightlife.
is located in Palermo Chico, in a dazzling old palatial home. Neighbouring "Barrio Parque" is strictly a residential area, laid out in winding streets by Carlos Thays
; many of the wealthy and famous own homes in this section. Once a quarter full of splendid mansions set in broad private parks, many luxury condominiums and apartment houses are now to be seen. MALBA
, the Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires, is located between Barrio Parque and the Paseo Alcorta shopping centre.
, in the northern half of Palermo. The King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center
was built in the 1990s nearby the Polo fields.
", is located on the north-east side of Palermo. It was inspired by the "Bois de Boulogne
" in Paris
and the Prater
(or Vienna Meadow) in Vienna
. It is the largest green area in the city of Buenos Aires.
Panoramic view of Las Cañitas, the "Bosques de Palermo" (Palermo Woods), are in the foreground
Line D
has several stations within Palermo's boundaries under Santa Fe and Cabildo avenues: Bulnes
, Scalabrini Ortiz
, Plaza Italia
, Palermo
, Ministro Carranza
, and Olleros
(in the limit with Colegiales). Currently, no other metro line serves the zone, but eventually Line F and Line I will. Three commuter railway lines go through the neighborhood: Retiro - José León Suárez (Mitre), Retiro - Tigre (Mitre) and Retiro - Pilar (San Martin). A total of five railway stations are located in Palermo.
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
of the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
capital, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. It is located in the northeast of the city, bordering the barrios of Belgrano
Belgrano, Buenos Aires
Belgrano is a leafy, northern barrio or neighborhood of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Location :The barrio of Palermo is to the southeast; Nuñez is to the northwest; Coghlan, Villa Urquiza, Villa Ortúzar and Colegiales are to the southwest....
to the north, Almagro
Almagro
Almagro may refer to:*Diego de Almagro , Spanish explorer*Diego Almagro II , assassin of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro*Nicolás Almagro , Spanish tennis player*Almagro, Buenos Aires...
and Recoleta
Recoleta
Recoleta is a downtown residential neighborhood in the city of Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina; it is an area of great historical and architectural interest, due, particularly to the Recoleta Cemetery located there...
to the south, Villa Crespo
Villa Crespo
Villa Crespo is a middle-class neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, located in the geographical centre of the city. It had a population of 83,646 people in 2001, and thus population density of 23,235 inhabitants/km²....
and Colegiales
Colegiales
Colegiales is a barrio or district in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located between Alvarez Thomas av., Forest av., De los Incas av., Virrey del Pino st., Cabildo av., Jorge Newbery st., Crámer st. and Dorrego av. This neighbourhood offers a vast amount of contrast and opportunities...
to the west and the Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
river to the east. With a total area of 17.4 km² (7 sq mi), Palermo is the largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires. As of 1991 it had a population of 256,927 inhabitants . It is the only barrio within the administrative division of Comuna 14.
History
The name of the district is derived from the still-existing FranciscanFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of "Saint Benedict of Palermo", an alternative name for Saint Benedict the Moor. Saint Benedict the Moor lived from 1526 to 1589 and is a complementary patron saint of Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, the capital city of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
In an alternative history of the name, a folk story supported by journalists, the land would have been originally purchased by an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
immigrant named "Juan Domingo Palermo" in the late 16th century, shortly after the foundation of Buenos Aires in 1580. Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
built a country residence there which was confiscated after his fall in 1852.
The area grew rapidly during the last third of the 19th century and particularly during the presidency of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was an Argentine activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and the seventh President of Argentina. His writing spanned a wide range of genres and topics, from journalism to autobiography, to political philosophy and history...
, responsible for the creation of the Buenos Aires Zoological Gardens and the "Parque Tres de Febrero
Parque Tres de febrero
Parque Tres de Febrero, also known as the Bosques de Palermo , is a city park of 25 hectares located in the neighborhood of Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina...
" in 1874, and "Plaza Italia" and the Palermo Race Track
Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo
Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. One of the most prominent horse racing venues in Argentina, its installations include a 2400 meter track suitable for races in all weather....
in 1876, all on the grounds of what had been Rosas' pleasure villa.
During the 20th century, the Buenos Aires Botanical Gardens (1902), "Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
-Accidents and incidents:*On 17 December 1969, an Austral Líneas Aéreas C-46 Commando, lost engine 1 due to fuel exhaustion shortly after take-off. The plane failed to gain height and made a crash landing in a small sport field...
", the water purification building, several sport clubs, the Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens
Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens
The Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens are a public space administered by the non-profit Japanese Argentine Cultural Foundation and are one of the largest gardens of its type in the World, outside of Japan.-Overview:...
and the Galileo Galilei planetarium
Galileo Galilei planetarium
The Galileo Galilei planetarium, commonly known as Planetario, is located in Parque Tres de Febrero in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires, Argentina.-History:...
were developed.
Subdivisions
Alto Palermo and Villa Freud
Alto Palermo is downtown Palermo, the main shopping area and transport hub around Santa Fe AvenueSanta Fe Avenue
Avenida Santa Fe is one of the principal thoroughfares in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The artery is essential to the imaginary axis of Barrio Norte in Buenos Aires, comprising the areas influenced by the route of the avenue through Retiro, Recoleta and Palermo neighborhoods, it is considered one of...
. At its core is the Alto Palermo Shopping Centre, a large shopping mall at the eastern-most edge of Palermo, bordering Recoleta
Recoleta
Recoleta is a downtown residential neighborhood in the city of Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina; it is an area of great historical and architectural interest, due, particularly to the Recoleta Cemetery located there...
. Villa Freud, based around Plaza Güemes, is a residential area known for its high concentration of psychoanalysts and psychiatrists, hence its name.
Palermo Viejo
Palermo Viejo (Old Palermo) is, as its name implies, the oldest part. It runs from Santa Fe AvenueSanta Fe Avenue
Avenida Santa Fe is one of the principal thoroughfares in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The artery is essential to the imaginary axis of Barrio Norte in Buenos Aires, comprising the areas influenced by the route of the avenue through Retiro, Recoleta and Palermo neighborhoods, it is considered one of...
south to Córdoba Avenue
Córdoba Avenue
Córdoba Avenue is one of the principal thoroughfares in Buenos Aires, Argentina.-History:Mayor Torcuato de Alvear, inspired by the urban redevelopment works in Paris at the hand of Baron Haussmann, drew up master plans for major boulevards, running east to west, every six blocks. During the 1880s,...
, and from Avenida Dorrego east to Coronel Díaz Street
Coronel Díaz Street
Coronel Díaz Avenue is an avenue that marks the limit between the Palermo and Recoleta neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and extends northbound, parallel Pueyrredón Avenue. It starts on Soler Street and ends on Castex Street, passing along Las Heras Park and the nearby Alto Palermo Shopping...
. The neighborhood is centred on Plaza Palermo Viejo and reflects an older Spanish style in architecture, often "recycled" with modern elements.
Such well-known figures as Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
and Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
once lived in this ward and indeed Borges first wrote poetry in the then quiet barrio. Borges's poem "Fundacion mitica de Buenos Aires" names a typical square (bordered by streets Guatemala, Serrano, Paraguay, Gurruchaga) adjacent to his childhood home, a popular tourist landmark. It was historically a residential area, popular with communities from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and old Spanish and Italian families, whose traditions are reflected in local restaurants, churches, schools and cultural centres.
Palermo Soho
Palermo Soho is a small area of Palermo Viejo around Plaza Serrano (officially Plazoleta Cortázar) on Serrano near Palermo's south-western edge. It is a newly fashionable area for fashion, design, restaurants, bars and street culture. The atmosphere in many cafés and restaurants strives to be "alternative", which makes this area of the city especially popular with young, upper-middle class Argentines as well as foreign tourists. The traditional low houses have been adapted into boutiques and bars, creating a bohemianBohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
feel. The square has a crafts fair.
Palermo Hollywood
In the mid-nineties a number of TV and Radio producers installed themselves in the area between Córdoba, Santa Fe, Dorrego and Juan B. Justo Avenues in Palermo Viejo. For that reason this part of the neighborhood began to be called "Palermo Hollywood".Presently, it's best known for the concentration of restaurants, clubs -as Club Atlético Palermo, the oldest one-, cafés and an active nightlife.
Palermo Chico and Barrio Parque
The most upmarket part of Palermo, "Palermo Chico" ("Small" or "Exclusive" Palermo), is on Palermo's north-eastern edge, across Figueroa Alcorta Avenue and between San Martín de Tours and Tagle streets. The National Museum of Decorative ArtsNational Museum of Decorative Arts
The National Museum of Decorative Arts is an art museum in Buenos Aires, Argentina.-Overview:The museum has its origins in a marriage in 1897 between two prominent members of turn-of-the-century Argentine high society: Matías Errazúriz, the son of Chilean emigrés, and Josefina de Alvear, the...
is located in Palermo Chico, in a dazzling old palatial home. Neighbouring "Barrio Parque" is strictly a residential area, laid out in winding streets by Carlos Thays
Carlos Thays
Carlos Thays was a French-Argentine landscape architect, and a student of French landscape architect Édouard André.-Biography:...
; many of the wealthy and famous own homes in this section. Once a quarter full of splendid mansions set in broad private parks, many luxury condominiums and apartment houses are now to be seen. MALBA
MALBA
The Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires is a museum located on Figueroa Alcorta Avenue, in the Palermo section of Buenos Aires.Created by Argentine businessman Eduardo Constantini, the museum is operated by the not-for-profit Fundación MALBAConstantini, and was inaugurated on September 21,...
, the Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires, is located between Barrio Parque and the Paseo Alcorta shopping centre.
Las Cañitas
Las Cañitas was a tenement district early in the twentieth century; but it has since become an upmarket area of high-rises, restaurants and bars next to the Campo Argentino de PoloCampo Argentino de Polo
The Campo Argentino del Polo, popularly known as the 'Cathedral of Polo', is a multi-purpose stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is currently used mostly for polo, pato and field hockey matches and hosted matches for the 1978 World Hockey Cup....
, in the northern half of Palermo. The King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center
King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center
The King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center is a Mosque and center for Islamic culture located in Buenos Aires, Argentina.The largest Mosque in Latin America, it resulted from President Carlos Menem's 1995 grant of 34,000 m² of municipal land in the Palermo section of Buenos Aires to the Mosque,...
was built in the 1990s nearby the Polo fields.
Highlights
The "Bosques de Palermo" (Palermo Woods) as is popularly known, officially "Parque Tres de FebreroParque Tres de febrero
Parque Tres de Febrero, also known as the Bosques de Palermo , is a city park of 25 hectares located in the neighborhood of Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina...
", is located on the north-east side of Palermo. It was inspired by the "Bois de Boulogne
Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine...
" in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and the Prater
Prater
The Wiener Prater is a large public park in Vienna's 2nd district . The amusement park, often simply called "Prater", stands in one corner of the Wiener Prater and includes the .-Name:...
(or Vienna Meadow) in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. It is the largest green area in the city of Buenos Aires.
Public transportation
Buenos Aires MetroBuenos Aires Metro
The Buenos Aires Metro , locally known as Subte is a mass-transit system that serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first station of this network opened in 1913, the first of its kind in South America, the Southern Hemisphere and the entire Spanish-speaking world...
Line D
Line D (Buenos Aires)
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. The line is currently 10.41 km long and runs approximately parallel to the city's coastline....
has several stations within Palermo's boundaries under Santa Fe and Cabildo avenues: Bulnes
Bulnes (Buenos Aires Metro)
Bulnes is a station on the of the Line D of the Buenos Aires Metro at the intersection of Avenida Santa Fe and Bulnes Street. It is an underground station and is located in neighbourhood of Palermo in Buenos Aires right beneath the Alto Palermo Shopping Centre; one of the exits from the station...
, Scalabrini Ortiz
Scalabrini Ortiz (Buenos Aires Metro)
Scalabrini Ortiz Station is a station on Line D of the Buenos Aires Metro.It is located at the intersection of Avenida Santa Fe and Avenida Scalabrini Ortiz....
, Plaza Italia
Plaza Italia (Buenos Aires Metro)
Plaza Italia station is part of the line D of the Buenos Aires Metro. Inaugurated on 29 December 1938, is located at the intersection of Avenida Santa Fe and the roundabout surrounding Plaza Italia in Palermo....
, Palermo
Palermo (Buenos Aires Metro)
Palermo is a station on Line D of the Buenos Aires Metro in Palermo, Buenos Aires.It is located at the intersection of Avenida Santa Fe and Godoy Cruz, near a McDonald's.-References:...
, Ministro Carranza
Ministro Carranza (Buenos Aires Metro)
Ministro Carranza is a station on Line D of the Buenos Aires Metro....
, and Olleros
Olleros (Buenos Aires Metro)
Olleros is a station on Line D of the Buenos Aires Metro....
(in the limit with Colegiales). Currently, no other metro line serves the zone, but eventually Line F and Line I will. Three commuter railway lines go through the neighborhood: Retiro - José León Suárez (Mitre), Retiro - Tigre (Mitre) and Retiro - Pilar (San Martin). A total of five railway stations are located in Palermo.